


Events behind our Story

by HmmSubZeroOrScorpion



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Anal Fingering, Dark moments, Erotica, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Girls in Chains, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lemon, Oral Sex, Sex, Smut, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-07-16 17:35:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7277434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HmmSubZeroOrScorpion/pseuds/HmmSubZeroOrScorpion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She is Tengu, sent to the first Tournament with an agenda; how odd she finds her plans foiled and becomes attracted to Sub-Zero. Very mature sexual content in later chapters, like the kind where you need a bucket of cold water over your head. Starting off with Cyber SubZero x OC, then eventually Revenant Sub-Zero x OC and then human Kuai Liang x OC. This timeline falls behind the events of the MK9 story mode leading up to MKX (contains very explicit smut!).<br/>My second fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kremnine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing the events of the the story mode of MK9 and reading the MKX comics will greatly help you understand what happens in this story. Else you can always wiki and I can always write a quick summary of what happens in the MK world.

A/N: an alternative look to the Mortal Kombat 9 storyline, I am introducing Quan Rae here again this time, during the unspoken background events from the story mode to the best I can.

The first few chapters are intended to introduce characters and fill in blanks in the events of MK 9. If you want to skip chapters I recommend at least starting at chapter 3 when Kuai Liang meets the O/C. Chapters that definitely have mature sexual content or romantic content are as follows:  
Chapter 5 - Cyber Sub-Zero X Kremnine  
Chapter 6 - Revenant Sub-Zero + Kremnine  
Chapter 7 - Revenant Sub-Zero X Kremnine   
Chapter 9 - Kuai Liang X Kremnine  
Chapter 10 - Kuai Liang X Kremnine  
Chapter 11 - Kremnine + Hanzo Hasashi  
Chapter 12 - Kuai Liang x Kremnine 

……..

MORTAL KOMBAT 1 BRACKET - PREVIEW NIGHT

Kremnine stood amongst the kombatants for the 10th tournament that would decide Earthrealm's fate; she stiffened when her eyes landed on Quan Chi. He was her target and the reason she accept the role of Kremnine. The Shirai Ryu had a Scorpion and the Lin Kuei had Sub-Zero but the Tengu has a name called Kremnine. A name passed on generation after generation through skill and achievement, be it man or woman. 

In her full traditional armour, no one can see the rage flickering in her eyes not even through the t-shaped slit of the mask, the signature of Tengu. A mask donned by previous Kremnines, along with an iconic long scythe. 

"Nice cosplay, White Reaper, how long did it take you to make the scythe glow?" A brunette in sunglasses walked passed her to stand beside a blonde woman. He looked as though he did not belong in any way shape or form, wearing some sort of expensive suit to the tournament. Wait…Cosplay?! Since there has been multiple Kremnines in the past, they would also get a nickname and she happened to be known as White Reaper amongst her peers but the man did not appear as if he actually knew this.

"Hmmph, a female Kremnine or shall I say a Tengu, another worthless clan," snorted Sektor who then had had her head turn towards. She gazed slightly at the man in the red assassin garb, of course he can never tell which direction she was eyeing, he folded his arms scanning her head to toe. "The last Kremnine was nicknamed Split Kreme, do you know why?" 

Unfortunately the name Kremnine also included all the crème jokes. He in this case, referred to the man who was split into two by Quan Chi's fatality. She would ignore the men but two of them glowed with an dark aura: the one with the red garb that appeared to be the ringleader and the cryomancer, Sub-Zero. 

Her life was never quite the same as in her childhood days, it was always hard since Quan Chi had destroyed all houses of power in the Tengu, but she grew up one day to learn she is an illegitimate child of the sorcerer, much to her discontent. Seeing the glow of an aura was a natural ability of demon blood, it allowed the distinguishing the kind of souls sentenced to darkest pits of the Netherrealm when they are no longer among the living. 

She may have been distracted at their auras a second too long when the Sektor threw in another snide remark, "Can't speak up for your incompetent clan? Or are you just as incompetent?"

"At least I would not be a generically, cloned cyborg," Kremnine responded. The Tengu had their ways in espionage and had known some time about this plan of the Lin Kuei.

"Watch your mouth, Tengu," the African-American man Lin Kuei warrior warned, he did not look like he was originally raised in Artika. And they sure are not making this easy on her.

"Del monte bananas are also clones," she tilted her head. "…That have no unique antibodies, and susceptible to extinction by one strain of pathogen…er in your case you would have no unique firewalls, however well they may be written."

"What are you trying to say?" Cyrax made demand, especially with his lack of support for the cyber initiative.

"Congratulations, you are one with fruit," she flatly responded. 

"You think yourself clever, Tengu scum?" Sektor raised his voice but then they were motioned for silence as Shang Tsung appeared flanked by Kitana and Jade. "This is not over." The ringleader warned.

 

…….

CONCLUSION OF PREVIEW NIGHT

It was rather mind-blowing to Kremnine that the movie star, Johnny Cage had no idea what he has gotten himself into. When Cage had just finished the last round for preview night, he walked proudly passed her as he intended to search for the blond woman in black leather. 

"I'm going to tear your mask off sometime soon," he pointed at Kremnine while lowering his glasses so that she can see his wink. 

"If you touch me, I will rip off your sunglasses….and throw it back at…your face?...Hmmm" She paused momentarily when her hand scratching her jaw, a nervous habit of hers when becoming unfamiliar with making such comebacks. It would be typical to make a comeback because someone threatened her legitimately, but he was just teasing her.

"Hah! I'd like to see you try, paper bag princess," he laughed and walked off with pride toward his destination.

…Okay that is war…the man literally is poking fun by suggesting she needed to cover her face. She wore a mostly black garb with orange details covered by a long white hood. Her brunette hair is exposed through an opening from the back of her mask acting as a high ponytail and drooped through the side of her neck to the front of her left breast. There was nothing else really to make fun of except that her face is covered.

The movie star seem too immersed in his own world as he joyfully skipped out of sight. She makes an exasperated sigh then followed by a silence. "….Okay…I am not sure if I should laugh or cry…What is wrong with him?"

"He is another scum who's luck will eventually run out," Sektor snorted. She turned to see the man and his crew fairly close to her. "As for you, I would prefer to see you cry."

Kremnine tilted her head to face the son of the Lin Kuei grandmaster and took a first step to leave when the man grabbed her by the arm. "You have sociopathic fetishes then. Does the Lin Kuei raise you all to be such gentlemen?"

"I do not to behave as around filth such as yourself," he retorted.

"Save your enthusiasm for tomorrow; the Lin Kuei do teach their disciples basic discipline do they not?" She remarked.

Sektor grew angrier by the second but Cyrax separated the two. "She is right, we can fight her fairly another day," reasoned the man in the black garb with yellow details.

"I appreciate your senses," she turned to look at Cyrax who then rather scoffed at her comment.

"Do not interrupt me again, Cyrax," warned Sektor. Kremnine took it as her opportunity to walk away. Sektor turned to Sub-Zero, "Make sure you kill her and I will dubbed her…Ice Kreme."

……..

MORTAL KOMBAT 1 BRACKET - OFFICIAL OPENING DAY

Kremnine was standing with the crowd of fights who stood in columns in no particular order during the opening ceremony. Though she hated the fact that Sektor and Cyrax were about a row behind her. She rolled her eyes when Johnny decided to stand next to her. 

"Did you see that hottie anywhere?" The actor asked while going on tip toes to eyeball for the blond earthrealmer.

"I give you zero cares," Kremnine blandly responded.

"I mean you think she thinks I am hot too? She must right? I'm in so many movies and ads so she knew who I was."

"I am not listening."

"What's your take as a woman? Think I should get her flowers?" Cage then tapped her in the shoulders invading her private space.

"Do you ever listen to any other voice other than your own?" Kremnine tilted her head and shook it quickly in short bursts. She can hear the snickering by Sektor behind her.

"Well yah, but it's not like we're busy right now, we have been doing nothing here for like 10 minutes!" Cage folded his arms annoyed about the wait stepping out of his spot and looking at other fighters who give him dirty looks. His focus went back to Kremnine, "I am doing you a favor by talking to ya."

"Oh? I am not bored, I have my own entertainment," Kremnine pulled out a device and then blasted the volume up with a dance song known as 'Mortal Kombat'. 

She noticed Johnny cage tried to say something and she turned up the volume more. Of course now everyone is giving them death glares. She then stopped the tune when Johnny Cage walked off elsewhere. She put away the device and stood still with mannerisms as though she never did that at all. She noted the shaolin monk and the Thunder God turned to look at her and gave her a head shake and she ignored it.

Finally the matches began when Shang Tsung appeared and gave a quick opening speech. Kremnine barely defeats Sheeva followed by Skarlet, this eliminates them from the tournament. She lost in her fight with Motaro who was just too strong and had too much opportunity to keep knocking her down between his tail or his hooves. He rightfully was allowed to perform a fatality on her. He opt to beat her to death in brutality. Sektor and Cyrax had watched this unfold with Sektor enjoying every delighted moment of it, cackling unnecessarily. That annoying laughter being the only thing Kremnine can hear as her bones were being pummelled on the floor. As soon as Motaro exited the stage ground signalling the end of the fight, she suddenly took a huge gasp and while bloodied with visibly broken ribs, she rolled to her side and healed as fast as she humanely can. Her deformity disappearing and she simply stood up, brushed off some blood and walked off the stage. 

Motaro was baffled as well as several eye witnesses who had assumed they just saw a show of a good killing. The match had concluded and now he would not be able run back to rip her head off and see if she can heal from that. Sektor frowned knowing this was some sort of sorcery. While she hated her lineage, being demon blooded did have its benefits such as mastery of healing magic and a few others.

She looked up at the sky, it started raining during her last match and there were to be a few more matches during the night. She figured she should get some rest and patch up as she had actually done her healing quite clumsily just so she can walk off the stage earlier.

She rested by the lake briefly, casting some healing spells to mend her wounds cleanly but then heard a slight shuffle and rolled to the side. The spot she was sitting had been frozen solid. 

"Why are you here?" she said to the blue clad ninja. 

"I am here to make a living and carry out orders," Sub-Zero spoke, his eyes murderous and cold hearted.

"You would attack unfairly?" She cast a shockwave to push him away from her. "You might as well attack me in the sanitary!"

They exchanged blows but it became apparent who harboured strength and power easily, if this kept with its current course, Kremnine would surely lose. She was not sure if she can survive he had froze her and then performed a fatality, not that this fight was even monitored, he was undoubtedly sent here to kill her. She devised a quick plan. She made a false attempt slash downward with her scythe which left her arm wide open, he took the bait and grabbed her forearm. 

He froze her flesh with intention for the frost to spread to her entire body but was not expecting she would intentionally drop the scythe in the current hand and catch it with her other hand and concluded her boldness by cutting her own left arm off. As the appendage separated from her body, she throws a shockwave of her own blood into his eyes as well as the flailing, lone appendage across for him to avoid. He was unable to dodge and he stumbled back from his vision loss. When his sight returned, she was no where to be seen but he saw the hints of red on the ground along the pouring rain and quickly pursued. 

While her move was a coward's escape, he also attacked her outside of the tournament. She was a healer class and was quick to cast a spell to stop the bleeding and regrow her whole arm. When Sub-Zero stood at the end of the trail, he was in the middle of the woods and he was furious when no other hints of her whereabouts were evident. It was raining hard, so hard that even all the her blood already vanished from his face and attire. He was then to return back to the tournament to report his status. 

Yet he would return to the tournament that night to only seal his own fate when he had to face the spectre named Scorpion. That was the Sub-Zero she burrowed into her memory, a remorseless mass murderer.


	2. Cyrax

MORTAL KOMBAT 1 BRACKET - DAY 2

Kremnine figured it would make sense that once she was back at the tournament, she would stay out in the open and not give an opportunity to the Lin Kuei to attack her in private. First, she has to return safely, it was already day break since she took an off route course back to the tournament to avoid running into Sub-Zero. 

She walked passed Cyrax who seemed shocked to see her alive. "You're…You survived, again…Not many can escape Sub-Zero. He was one our best."

"Was?" She questioned the use of past tense. His silence gave her the answer and she tilted her head down. "…Ohhh."

"I had hoped you did not have to suffer anyhow," he admitted recalling her brutal beating at the hands of Motaro.

"My kind do not fall so easily," she simply spoke. She hesitated for a second noticing a change in his demeanour, it was far less hostile that the day before. She then walked up to him, "Between the other two Lin Kuei assassins, your soul is considered pure…why follow them?" 

"I am not Lin Kuei anymore."

She looked at him for a second to interpret if he was telling the truth. Upon her gut feeling, she had a good feeling for him and continued to follow him as he walked towards an unknown destination. "How will you leave?"

"I have no purpose here, I will go through the guards of the portal."

"I meant after. The Lin Kuei do not take deserters lightly, you are young, you have a whole lifetime ahead…Should you help me with my purpose here, I will speak on your behalf to welcome you amongst Tengu ranks," she offered. The African man looked, at best, 7 years her senior. Still, that is the age where a normal being to settle down and start a family. But they are all not meant for the normal life.

"I am not interested, the Tengu would be no better," he refuted.

"You jest, the Tengu are one of the only traditional clans remaining with families. We keep this way to protect earthrealm and its traditions. Surely, you would agree this is just," she tilted her head.

"Even if it were so, I cannot take the word of one who I cannot even read the face of," he folded his arms and was ready to walk. With her mask on at all times, he cannot make out if she was lying or bluffing and he would rather be on his way.

"They say to not judge a book by its cover but you read expressions as I do," she nodded and took off her mask. Her skin was fair but a bit too white and she had blood orange eyes, her long brunette bangs framed her young, heart shaped face. Despite that, she was easy on the eyes and a trustworthy aura around her. 

"What are you?" He asked and looked into her unusual eye colours and at her skin tone.

"I am demon blooded…no thanks to Quan Chi. You should know, the Lin Kuei has accepted terms from two players, both sorcerers. I care not of the end outcome but before Quan Chi allied with your kind on good terms, he first ruined my people and I will have him pay with his blood."

"Did he conduct experiments on your kind?" He probed as his memories flooded him of being was there with Sektor watching the prototype Lin Kuei cyborg in the labs as well as all the hideous failed attempts prior. While that was an agreement of service with Shang Tsung representing the emperor Shao Kahn, there was also another deal with Quan Chi.

"No….I just happen to be his bastard," she shrugged with her eyes half lidded at the muscular man before her. He was rather surprised at this information. "So…what say you?"

"Find Quan Chi, end him, then what? You would remain to the conclusion of this tournament?"

"I will leave with you through the portals, bring you to safe havens, as per my word. With the Lin Kuei out of the picture to diminish Earthrealm's resources, I believe they stand a positive chance of winning…that is unless the Outworlders decide to cheat post tournament, which I would not be so surprised. Then I would return alone on my own accord. The Tengu are not here to seek glory, only to maintain balance for our realm."

Cyrax reached out his hand. For someone younger than him, she behaved quite maturely and responsibly, that at least, was something he aspired to. She looked at the outstretched hand curiously for a moment before slipping her hand perched over his in a dainty manner. He seemed slightly awkward and timid about it for a brief second as she had mistaken his intent of a handshake and instead he held it as if asking her to dance. 

Perhaps this is a cultural or clan difference, with him being raised with the Lin Kuei which had no female presence around him. Every male grew up with minimal experience of interaction of the opposite gender. This was done intentionally so that the warriors would not be raised to desire love and family. The only thing that can jeopardize missions. 

Some males saw women as objects and seemed more than eager with a unhealthy mentality to take on missions involving women, what actually happened to the women in those missions, Cyrax was not interested in finding out; he understood better. He was kidnapped as a child to serve the Lin Kuei, but he remembered there being a mother who loved him when he little. His mother who would tell to treat women fairly and with respect. He came back to his senses and gave her hand a firm squeeze.

"This way," she lead and tugged him with the hand that was still in his. "I had felt his presence lingering." 

Their hands separated but it was a warm start for both. "If I recall from Sub-Zero, Quan Chi resides mostly in the Netherrealm, why did you have to wait in the tournament to find him?"

"I….cannot enter the Netherealm. A soul must be corrupted by enough sin in order to enter that kind of portal, even more to stand long enough in the realm," she admitted.

"Then Sub-Zero…." Cyrax quietly said with intent to keep to himself as he recalled how the cyromancer ventured into the Netherrealm to search for an amulet in the past.

"Corrupt. It is an aura I saw oozing out of him though his moral alignment may be neutral," she explained. "A shame that most of us do as asked of our masters or for what we believe in. I believe he was doing as he must to serve."

"You can see this…? Then I--?"

"Tainted but most people have some slight taint. Perhaps you should consider yourself lucky you were not sent out on the same missions that challenged his morality….I hate to change the topic on you, but may I put my mask back on?" She asked him. He was a little dumbfounded as truly it would be her decision. "You are done analyzing my face, are you not?"

He turned his head slightly, "Put your mask on."

"Thank you, and for your records, my name is Rae," she formed a small smile which took the man back. When she donned the look of Kremnine again, she explained, "Truth be told, I do not want Quan Chi to see me, he may realize who I really am if he has not figured it out already." 

They found a cavern with a portal leading to the Netherealm.

"I had noticed Quan Chi using this portal to move between realms during his time here for the tournament. I saw him enter a while earlier. I suppose if I really wish to charge in, I can commit some acts of crime…steal candy from Tarkatan babies…because no one in the right mind really wants to do that."

"You have a certain sense of humor," Cyrax tilted his head upwards while keeping his eyes on her. A part of him has been starting to appreciate her honesty, in fact a part of placed her in positive thoughts, perhaps just after all this, he may go get to know her better. 

"I need him to stay put long enough so I can end him," she concluded.

The portal activates and the two immediately hid out of sight. Walking through the portal was Quan Chin and a man in an all black attire. Cyrax felt the man looked distinct but he could not quite determine the strange nostalgia clouding his head. They quietly followed the two that conversed in their schemes to disrupt the earthrealm warriors. The more Cyrax caught word of the schemes, topics about the Lin Kuei were mentioned and the more he heard, he more he realized the crimes of the Lin Kuei. He was not fighting for such a noble cause as he once believed.

"You will find yourself much more capable in this realm," Quan Chi explained to his warrior.

"I am Noob Saibot, your forever humble servant," the warrior obediently bowed. The light of the moon glazed over the face of the shadow wraith and Cyrax was taken back when he recognized the figure. 

"It can't be…" the African American accidentally said, leaking out their position.

"Dispatch him for me, quickly," Quan Chi tilted his head as he gave the order. He then noticed another figure accompanying the Lin Kuei…ah yes the Kremnine of the Tengu. 

As Quan Chi and Noob Saibot approached Cyrax and Kremnine, it would appear already as though that the warrior of shadow would face Cyrax and Kremnine would fight Quan Chi. Tension rose in the air as the pairing of kombatants began to separate and create their own fighting zone.

"What are you?!" Cyrax demanded of the unknown warrior.

"I am more than I ever was before," Noob Saibot mocked.

"It can't be you….Bi Han?" Cyrax questioned, his resolved shattered. 

"I have been perfected now that I am resurrected, you will see," Noob Saibot boldly state. 

"Why are you obeying everything of the sorcerer? You never supported them!"

"I was foolish to think that, now that I has arisen among the brotherhood of shadow, I see their ways." Noob Saibot concluded and began to fight his former comrade who is still in shock and rather fighting defensively instead of agressively.

~~~~~

"I am afraid your little riot has been dissolved," Quan Chi sneered at Kremnine in response to Cyrax's diminishing fighting spirit. 

"The fight should start and end with only you and I," Rae responded boldly, "Your deeds need to end, whatever your end goal is."

"My end goal is far greater purpose than serving the Emperor," Quan Chi boasted with equal confidence. 

"The lives of the Tengu, Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei mean that little? Mere ants moving along to shape the landscape? Surely, you have small gains with the Emperor other than retrieving the souls of the fallen…You serve someone above that…Tell me and I will end what you started."

Quan Chi lowered his head for a moment in recognition, "It is you…I can sense it now…" he whispered. "What is your name?"

"Rae…"

"Quan Rae..."

"No, just Rae."

"Wu Lae raised you then? You must admit, Quan Rae has a better ring to to it then Wu Rae."

"You may be correct, I will adapt it after I end you to remind myself of the achievement," she powered her scythe with orange energy. 

They exchange blows as well and spells. She was able to negate his spells as well as he can to her and they resorted to physical fighting within moments. All she needs now is an opening to cut him.

She caught a flicker of an ember or something shiny at the corner of her eyes and dodged an incoming kunai. The Shirai Ryu wraith appeared, intercepting their fight. Each time she got Scorpion off of her so that she can focus on Quan Chi, the wraith came right back at her. Finally, the wraith teleported away to her confusion and then she realized it was because the sorcerer took advantage of the distraction and vanished out of sight.

"Dammit!" She cried out when the sorcerer disappeared. She just lost her likely one chance! Now she has no element of surprise. Her anger dissipates as she noticed Cryax struggling against Noob Saibot. Cryax backed up and crouched in pain, not prepared to see the next move from his challenger, the finishing blow.

She moves in front of the man in yellow to take a blow meant for him. A deep wound cut through her shoulder blades, splitting her rib cage apart. 

"Noo!" cried Cyrax. She fell but held on her shoulder to heal the wound with whatever energy she can afford while using her remaining energy to throw a strong pulse to push the shadow assailant several feet away to the floor, the crunching of bones echoed loudly as he landed. 

Cyrax clutched onto her and expressed with guilt and concern, "Why?!"

"Run…just go…" she said meekly. 

Cyrax ignored her plea and threw a smoke bomb. Noob Saibot casually walks through the mist without concern or fear. As the smoke clears up, Rae and the yellow garbed Lin Kuei warrior were no where in sight but there was some blood on the trail. The shadow wraith was not going to fall for this same trick twice.

"There, I stopped the bleeding. He will lose track of us then," she muttered. Her head resting against the African American man's chest as he ran across the woods holding her in his arms. The night was dark but they both saw a flashing glow of light back in direction of the tournament. The signal that the earthrealmers had won the tournament.

"We can stay with Raiden and his allies, that will buy us time," he figured.

"I will slow you down, set me down here to rest. Go there and I will you find later. You are still a promise I will keep," she suggested without hesitation.

"You give yourself too little credit. I would not just leave you out in the open," he chuckled and noticed her chest frame did not look deformed like it did before. 

Several Lin Kuei cyborgs abruptly appeared and a strange glowing metal wire appeared slightly above ground which Cyrax tripped on, dropping Rae who rolled a few feet from him.

He meant to get up as fast as he can to retrieve her but he was surrounded by cyber units. His mind raced as he wondered about how fast they were produced; the last time he saw a prototype was a few months ago, he didn't think they were production ready. 

"Cyrax!!" He heard the girl call out to him. He can see her curled on the floor trying to get into a crawling position.

Then in front of his eyes, he could not believe what he was seeing, a unit in red different from the rest. It can't be…

"No one leaves the Lin Kuei," the voice belong to Sektor and he stood in front of him as a cyborg. 

Cyrax throws his smoke bomb and tried to cut through the circle of cyborgs surrounding him. He did not expect they can scan through and see him through other means of vision such as infrared. He was knocked down as he tried to sneak through two of them. He recognized them…former comrades, supportive of the grandmaster's vision. How inhumane they seemed. The feeling of cold steel against his neck lingered after it made contact. 

The units surrounded him again creating some sort of encasing energy barrier. "Beginning transport for assimilation," he heard Sektor order. They paid little attention to injured Tengu on the floor who crawled towards them. 

"Run!" Cryax called out to her and heard her reply back with a call of his name. The voice that echoed in his head. That was the last thing he remembered as a human being.


	3. Tundra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N - what third chapter and still no mature content? Lol I enjoy writing that content but I also want to remain truthful to the characters and many actually behave as though sex is the last thing on their mind. But if you had read my other fic and enjoyed the 'details' then you will eventually see some good stuff by chapter 5. Anyways time to backfill Tundra! The young Sub-Zero in my opinion truthfully has a temper.

………………..

MORTAL KOMBAT 2 BRACKET -TUNDRA'S PREFACE

Tundra sat impatiently at the grand hall of the Lin Kuei temple, he had not seen his brother in days since that Mortal Kombat tournament began. There seemed to be far less Lin Kuei around the last few days, embarking on a mission he was unauthorized to learn about. The grandmaster was to deliver a speech any moment. Surely, in walked the man in fancy red robes and flanked by Shang Tsung and they stood before all the kneeling disciples.

"We have a traitor amongst our ranks. The penalty would be death. However, with our ongoing cyber initiative, we felt we can make better use of the traitor, Cyrax, to be processed for cyberization," the grandmaster declared. 

Tundra whispered to Smoke who was kneeling right beside him, "I cannot believe this…"

"Cyrax's crimes were disobeying direct orders, attacking my son, attempting to leave the Lin Kuei and scheming alongside with our rival clan. Our Outworld sources inform us he had made a pact of sanctuary with a Tengu woman. This is unforgivable. May this serve as a reminder to anyone who in the future who dares violate our ways."

"Perhaps she is his mistress," Smoke whispered back. Both men were suddenly silenced.

"Tundra!" The grandmaster raised his voice. "It is with deep regrets that Sub-Zero did not return to us amongst the living." 

"He fought honourably in the tournament," Shang Tsung bowed. "A most unfortunate turn of events as I had high hopes for him--"

"How did he?--" Tundra stood up abruptly in disbelief.

"Who dares interrupt me?!" Shang Tsang snarled.

"I am the brother of who you spoke of. I have the right to know!" Tundra said with impulse.

"Stay at your place, Tundra, this is a grand announcement and I will not be spoken over for! You think you are the only Lin Kuei here who mourns for Sub-Zero? He was my best and I would trade 10 of you for 1 of him for his bravado and obedience!"

Tundra meant not to offend the grandmaster so he moved back to his kneeling position but clenching his fists so hard that ice mist was visibly steaming out rapidly.

"That is a good dog," Shang Tsung sneered, "We are to have another tournament, to that I would need capable and obedient warriors like Sub-Zero."

"I will have my son personally take part and a selection of our finest of his choosing," the grandmaster promised.

………..

After the grand announcements, Kuai Liang was left in distraught. He had no answers on Sub-Zero's well being up to the moment of death. He wanted closure; he wanted vengeance to who stole his only family member left from him. Worst, he was not even one of the warriors picked for the next Tournament. He would give Sektor a piece of his mind except no one seemed to have actually seen the man in days. 

He marched into Bi-Han's room and searched for items for keepsake, he found an extra sets of attire of signature blue much different to his own teal colours. He took the clothing and slipped it into his bag to bring along with him. It is time he made his own move, he can deal with the consequences after. 

Nightfall came and snuck out of the compounds. As he stepped out of the Lin Kuei temple grounds, a grey figure approached him and he knew who that could only be.

"You do not have to do this," Smoke said.

"I must go and seek the truth, Tomas," Tundra stated clutching on the bag with him containing the attire of Sub-Zero. 

"Then…I will accompany you, Kuai," Smoke nodded.

"I cannot have you receive punishment on my stead," the cryomancer shook his head. 

"We do not share blood, but you are my brother. I could think of no better person to go to hell and back with."

"You are mine as well….very well then," Tundra bowed accepting his best friend's offer, he slid down his back and pulled apart the drawstrings to show to his friend. "This is all I have left of Bi-Han."

"Where should we go?"

"Outworld, where my brother was last seen amongst the living, I will have justice for him."

"Let us travel to the portal then."

……….

MORTAL KOMBAT 2 BRACKET - KREMNINE'S PREFACE

She was annoyed there was another tournament, had not the threat of losing all things earth and sky, she would not have bothered participating. But she had given her word to show up when the Thunder God and those two girl scout Shaolin monks appeared to her at the Tengu Outpost….she just had to open her big mouth and she said with a slight smile, "How can I help you?"

Dammit it all to hell. Of course they are going to ask she help along to save some Wu Shu Academy Masters. Raiden sense her frustration and put his hand on her shoulder. 

I understand your sense of failure. But join me with this tournament and we will set the course right. Cyrax is lost now…I have foreseen him turned into a cyborg. This transformation was unavoidable in my visions. Yet there is hope in this timeline, he may yet still regain his humanity."

"Wait…why you are trying to change the future?" She piqued. 

"A version of myself in the future sent me a message to change an outcome here, currently, no changes have been made." 

"Time is just an illusion we perceive and measure with clocks and the motion of space, it is the fourth dimension, it cannot be changed."

"All the Kombatants die in that future," Raiden admits, "I must change it."

"I suppose we can delay it or just accept our mortality," she looked to the side sadly. She was demon blooded, she honestly does not care if she really had to die as she would become a full blooded demon although she would only be able to exist in the Netherrealm.

"You give up already?!" Liu Kang walked up to her. 

"No you do not get it. Imagine I took snapshots of you walking up to me. I can lay it out in linear order giving the illusion that time and motion is sequential so that you and I can understand the events when in fact it is more like me gathering all the snapshots together until it forms a stack. You cannot it see it but it becomes tall like in a shape of a cube. As I flip through the layers of snapshots in the cube, however fast or slow or even took out a snapshot from the pile, the events of walking will play out no matter what. Then, there is no way to change it, it is what it is."

"You make my head spin," Kung Lao looked at her quizzically. 

She made an exasperated sigh. "Okay..I will be there as it should be since we are supposed to die. There, you understand that."

…….

MORTAL KOMBAT 2 BRACKET - OFFICIAL OPENING DAY 1

She is here…now at the rendezvous, what on earth is everyone? No one is here at this spot at this bloody hour, who tells everyone to show up at night to a tournament in a foreign realm? Raiden, that is who! She leaned up against the hallway and watched as except some occasional Tarkatans walked by. She tapped her feet and was growing impatient. 

Walking in front was a robot with yellow. She seems to recall that shade of yellow. 

"You…..Cyrax!?" She called out as she ran up to him.

"I am Lin Kuei Unit L-K-4-D-4, it is not protocol of me to interact with you," he swerved around her and continued to walk to his destination. 

"It is me!" She said pulling off her mask and walking in unison with him. "Cyrax!"

"I am L-K-4-D-4, I must be not be hindered," he flatly responded.

"I get what L-K stands there for, thank you. But what happened? I tried tracing known Lin Kuei outposts and could not find a trace of you or any of the other cyborgs. All your outposts show a declining population…Are all your brethren subjected to conversion?"

He continued to ignore her. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to a halt. He turns around. "You will not stop me from my mission. FIGHT!"

She refused, "No, we will talk like human ….to cyborg?" she folded her arms but then took a blow to the stomach making her fall back to the floor several feet. That hurt….and she may have deserved that a little for failing him. She still refused to fight him when she got up so he kicked her so hard, her knee popped. She shuddered in pain and he turned away to walk. She tried to walk to him again and he turned and dropped an explosive ball bomb to the floor heading her way.

"No…." She said and tried to limp out of the way. She avoided the majority of the blast but the explosion punctured her side and she was bleeding out, if she moved she felt small bits of shrapnel in her body. Then he simply teleported away. It would appear that the explosion beckoned some attention and she did her best to dig her hand into her side and pull out the larger chunks of metal lodged in her and dissolve the rest with spells. She managed to crawl away while leaving a very bloodied trail. 

She traveled weakly to the nearby beach in an attempt to nurse her wounds. She lost her mask back there from the explosion. So she dipped her hands to drink up some water to satisfy her thirst. She couldn't believe it…she failed three times! First eliminated at the first tournament, then at killing Quan Chi and saving Cyrax. The best she can do is heal up and talk to Raiden of what has transpired, she cannot do this alone. The earthrealmers, while she was unacquainted with, looked like truth worthy people.

After a while, she had the energy to stand and stretched her legs. It will be a walk to get back to the tournament grounds and hopefully no one suspected she was a no show. She cringed as there was nothing she can do for Cyrax, she doesn't even know what is done to him exactly. 

To make the situation more dire, she looked at her surroundings and it looked like a fight broke out here with mass amounts of slaughtered men, this was a mass graveyard. It frightens her simply lingering here, regardless that she was demon blooded. She heard a rustling and turned to see a moving figure.

She screamed as she saw a shadow of Sub-Zero walking swiftly through the battlefield. He spotted her and created an ice wall and bolted.

"Oh my elder gods, in groups of three, asshole," she clenched her fists. She was in no mood for a fourth failure on her count because of whatever the ghost of Sub-Zero is up to. Eventually, she ran a different course allowing her to spot him from a small distance. She cast a barrier spell targeting spirits. However, he ran past it as if it did not even exist.

She caught up to him through a short path and tackles him down to the floor but surprised herself he has a physical form. He kicked her off easily enough. She stumbled back and looked at her stomach brushing away the dirt on her already damaged armour….a ghost does not leave footprints behind… 

He was unsure how to respond to her as he could not tell if she was just some crazy woman obsessed with looking pristine. Although that motion she did just now, made him notice her armour. She was Tengu. He threw a ice ball at her but she dodged it on time and shot a shockwave at his shoulder. He flipped back to the ground and she pinned him down.

"What are you? You make it out one piece yet left Cyrax to be mutilated?!" She demanded him while gripping on the blue fabric of his armour.

"Get off of me!" He plan to pushed her using his palm against her face but she intercepts by putting her palm against his just in time as he froze her hand. This gave him leeway to push her to the side with his other hand, enabling him to reverse their positions. 

Except she was good at parrying his arms even though her one hand was frozen. He has to pin her down but she was moving so much, he meant to catch her free hand and slam it downward but somehow ended up grabbing breast. He froze in his moment of awkwardness and received a slap to the face. 

He turned to face her and noted she had her eyes half lidded and head turned to the side and her free arm was clenched into a fist and brought close to heart centre as if she was afraid or hurt. 

"Who are you?!" He reached to grab her free arm just in case she attacked. 

"Can I not be afraid of angry spirits trying to drain my soul?" She mocked. She arched her wrist allowed her to poked his arm with her index finger, "Oh….you are very much alive, then, you are just a pervert."

"I…I did not mean that!" He defended himself. He felt no immediate threat from her as she stopped trying to attack him all together and he let go and allowed her to arise. He did not expect her to walk up to him close and pinch his other arm. 

"You are not like those ones…" she muttered. 

"I am the elder Sub-Zero's brother," he admitted, "I mean you no harm unless I must." A part of him was wary she may just be crazy.

She looked at his eyes, the corrupt and murderous eyes were not reflected back, the aura was clean. Ice blue eyes and blood orange eyes searched each other. This man's soul is mostly pure despite being a Lin Kuei…no this was not that Sub-Zero who tried to kill her. "I…believe you." 

"Have you seen my brother?"

"Yes before he perished. He is no more," due to the rapid turn of events, little did she realize she came face to face with the former Bi-Han and only told this Sub-Zero what she knew.

"Do you know of his killer?"

"I never had a chance to ask Cyrax who."

"No matter, I will find out with or without your help and seek justice."

"A noble motive but it is little justice delivered for a man who is a remorseless mass murderer."

"He is my brother!" He knew she spoke the truth of Bi-Han who the grandmaster had always favoured for taking on the most brutal of missions with little question. 

"I get it…But why are you not a cyborg like the rest I saw?"

"You have seen them?" He questioned, he knew the cyber initiative was still in some sort of approval phase among the higher ranking Lin Kuei. He, Smoke and Cyrax were part of the group that have spoken out against it.

"Yes, many of them."

"You lie!" He raised his voice and mist busted out of his clenched fist. 

"They kidnapped Cyrax during the conclusion of the first tournament; I offered him asylum. I do not want to fail him."

Sub-Zero looked carefully at her eyes, she was not lying but her body language of tense shoulders and slightly clenched fists hinted she was withholding information.

"You are the Tengu who allied with him."

"Hang on, so you already know he was leaving and you are not 'cyberized'" She choked realizing he knew there was more than meets the eye. She looked at his eyes again to seek a truth in him but he was also starting to grew impatient with her odd behaviour. 

He thought this for a moment, she is Tengu…if she was not lying then could Cyrax have deceived her to think so? Her expressions indicate she wanted to help his comrade out of responsibility and Cyrax was not a deceiver.

He put two and two together. Cyrax was first to suggest branching a Lin Kuei faction that remained human. Could it be Sektor or the grandmaster had him converted to silence him? He could not believe her until he sees it. Still he is here for his brother's killer.

"You waste my time," both of them said at the exact same time to each other and then looked at each other skeptically. They both to the side and took two steps each immediately aware they were heading the same direction, towards the Mortal Kombat tournament. Now they are back to glaring at one another, waiting for the other to talk first or move first, whichever came first.

"Time to choose sides: friend or foe?" He threatened. If she dared admitted to foe he will order her to fight!

"I do not want to do this again, Lin Kuei…how about acquaintance?... " she looked up with her eyes and had slowly sounded the third option further irritating the man. "Preferably the kind that pretends they do not know each other the next time they meet. I am heading back….that way," she pointed a slightly off course direction so she did not have to travel along side him. 

They parted ways. Kuai Liang thought to himself that he had never met a oddball woman like that. Rae thought she never met such an oddball man like that.


	4. Quan Rae

Kremnine was at the colosseum to rendezvous for the second tournament just in a black and orange attire today due to the hot weather. Yet, none of the earthrealmers were present. Just her stood before an audience. Tsang Tsung was allowed to continue the tournament and had placed her against Jade who had just returned from the armoury it would seem. Kremnine couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow when Jade mentioned that was where the bulk of the earthrealm kombatants were. Kremnine easily defeated Jade and had given her dislocated shoulder and a large cut. A fatality was demanded at the conclusion of their fight, yet the Tengu crouched down and healed Jade without question. Jade was confused yet did not know how to express gratitude. The crowd booed at not being able to witness a killing.

She quickly dispatched a nameless Outworld fighter. By the next match she was paired to Kitana and lost the second a bladed fan was right next to her skull. Shao Kahn instructed his daughter to perform fatality but Kitana declined out of kindness of sparing Jade. The crowded booed once again making the Emperor rather twitchy to give a killing.

After Kremnine stood at the fighters pit of the colosseum observing those remaining at the ring. She watch Kitana defeat her next earthrealm opponent. Rae was now annoyed she did not last longer as she would take any chance to fight Quan Chi in a declared match. It was not before long when she was greeted by the sight of Sub-Zero entering the fighters pit. They looked at each other as though they were two strangers at first but then Rae gave him a nod. 

"You stand out here in the open?" He questioned.

"I was eliminated," she admitted.

"So soon? Should your clan focus on fighting more than making peace, you may have become more formidable," He teased but was also half mocking her.

"The Tengu are the only clan who have ever tried peace talks among other warring clans. This whole fragile problem of warring clans started off with someone killing a certain someone who now someone else wants to kill back the someone and it continues. There is an art to whether we senselessly start a fight or not….As for your comment on my skill set in the tournament:…you try…" she narrowed her eyes at him. 

He blew a lot of mist suddenly but stopped. He narrowed his eyes at her as well when he realized he was going to have swallow his pride and decline her challenge. "I am only here for Scorpion," he said dismissively.

"Ask for an audience in front of Shao Kahn," Kremnine suggested sarcastically with a small smile.

"I will," he said and straightened his posture and gave a quick bow, surprising her a little. 

He took her advice seriously and marched up to the emperor with no sense of respect and demanded Scorpion. She had to cover her mouth from afar almost about to burst to laughter but also a sense of 'Whoops!'. She didn't actually meant that!

She watched as he defeated his opponent Reptile…okay winning against Reptile or Baraka do not count. They are literally jobbers. However, she smiled ear to ear for him when Scorpion was summoned except an thought occurred to her, 'Wait! You can demand the emperor let you fight someone specifically?! Dammit it all!' 

When he defeated Scorpion and at that instant questioned herself: why was she happy for him? Then it strangely hit her, she is drawn to him. She would never think herself being the kind of person attracted to someone rude and teasing. Her acceptance of this made her internally feel refreshed but that was short lived when the Lin Kuei appear, along with Cyrax. 

She tried to get through the pit but the guards blocked her and told her she is forbidden to enter again. She pushed through them and then noticed a barrier preventing her entry. She watched as Sub-Zero was taken away. Her eyes frantically looked left and right out of her surprise and then she spotted the earthrealmers walking a certain path like Kitana was and make her way there. 

"Holy shit…Kremnine?" Johnny Cage walked up and circled her side to side as she walked towards Raiden. "Wow…damn, I wouldn't be wearing that mask when you look like that. You're like doll faced."

"If I had my mask, I would be wearing it," she raised her eyebrow at him, unimpressed.

"What happened to it?"

"--'IT' exploded."

"Guess I might have messed up my chances with the paper bag comment….Any way I can salvage that?"

"What is it you city folk say? Fug off?…"

"Actually, no…but I would take that statement from you any day."

Raiden approached the two, while he heard their conversation, he often has little input to earthrealmers for their youthful behaviour and remained silent. He was flanked by a Lin Kuei warrior in grey. The warrior instantly took notice of her attire. How many more Lin Kuei does she have to see today?

"You are Tengu!" Smoke ran up to her. He immediately figured Kremnine was the one who interacted with Cyrax. Prior to discovering how the Lin Kuei planned to simply force him into cyberization, he would have assumed the Tengu must have been a cunning, manipulative individual convincing Cyrax to leave. Now, he understands why Cyrax wanted to leave, not because of a woman but because he wanted to retain his humanity. He himself often did not judge character but that innocent face and currently saddened features of hers certainly can convince she can't be all that evil as the grandmaster described her.

"Yes?" Rae asked, mentally prepared for some comeback to the next rude Lin Kuei.

"Thank you for standing out for Cyrax," he bowed.

"….I do not deserve your gratitude, I failed him and could not help Sub-Zero," she looked down on the floor. It would be some time later when she saw Sub-Zero again. 

"I am the one who failed this younger Sub-Zero," Raiden said. "He was not meant to be taken away."

"You…messed with the timeline?! What did I tell you about that? No matter what that event of the sort has to occur. Think of the stack!" Rae blurted out.

"Could it be?….Only a god's involvement can the change be possible?" Raiden questioned. "You will join us, Kremnine?"

"There is no point for me to linger here. I am returning to the Tengu, if the world ends I want to at least see my clan before that. Reach out to me if you actually need me."

"I cannot hold you here, may we cross paths again," Raiden bowed as Kremnine left for the south portal.

"You sure you don't have visions of needing her to heal us at this time?" Johnny asked. As much as he may have jinxed himself, it would appear he would have appreciated a healing session when he got a good beating after following Kitana.

 

……..

MORTAL KOMBAT 3 BRACKET

Events unfolded rapidly, all hell broke loose as demons and Outworld armies stormed Earth cities. Special Forces bases were overrun and the earthrealm allies resorted to taking refuge in a secluded but very large, accommodating church. Truthfully though, it was not the most defendable position.

A handful of troopers and sergeants under Jax remained with them all but the numbers of those were declining and Rae could not heal them all, that is if they were even brought to her after battle to begin with. 

Finally, she was interrupted when Smoke and Jax rushed into the small room she managed to turn into a make shift infirmary. Jax set down a blue coloured cyborg. Instantly she knew of who it can only be. 

"We caught one, a good one. You've helped heal many folks here the last days, maybe you can work some magic on him," Jax suggested. 

"Not all, you refused help," she referenced his bionic arms. 

"You showed up after the fact and ….Nah, I kind of need them at these times. Don't want to go through the pain."

"Please," Tomas interrupted. "Help him, I trust you."

"I will give you updates on how I progress….or come find me if I forget," she scratched her jawline and then started pulling out some surgical gloves and a X-Ray scanner. The two men left her alone and she took a good look at Sub-Zero. She did not know where to begin as a several steps raced to her mind on performing the task methodologically. 

…….

NIGHTS LATER

"All the wire paths for the slaving protocol are cut off, I disconnected them with magic or some whatever proper tools I had but there is not sufficient power to boot him up in here," Rae said to Jax. She started drinking the water in front of her which his brought for her. In the last few days, she had been so focused on Sub-Zero she hardly ate or slept. Instead, she learned so much of the mechanics behind how his body is set to function. 

"We have some good power in the main area of the church where everyone is gathering. The others will want to see him, especially his best friend."

"Noted, I will remain here, it is where I am needed right now. Several patients in poor conditions."

"Hell no, girl, I don't know what I am doing!" 

"These cables have metal rims, just make sure you plug power into this one and that one and the red one. Then you can run that program you made, his hard boot is behind this plate on the nape. Has to be in that sequence, otherwise…he may overload," the small Tengu explained holding on the cords behind Sub Zero's head. 

"What am I? A denotation expert?" The large African-American man scoffed as he slug Sub-Zero over his shoulder and turned around and walked off.

……

MOMENTS LATER

Sub-Zero did not completely feel as though he was himself again but his mind was his. He boldly agreed to Stryker's plan of infiltration. Before he set afoot, Smoke stopped him privately.

"You thanked Jax but you should thank the Tengu, she put as much effort in helping you."

"I would have never guessed. I was not kind to her when I met her," Kuai Liang spoke.

"You will find her sweet," Tomas admitted. He did not want to give a spoiler alert to his best friend but he can tell she may have something for the cryomancer. Despite the gravity of their current situation, he would like to think Sub-Zero atleast deserves some small form of happiness.

Kuai Liang found her in the infirmary, Rae was cleaning some tools moving items to rearrange the room now that she was done working on him. She turned to respond to the sound of metal shifting in the entry. When she laid eyes on him, she parted her lips. 

"You have my gratitude, now and forever," he bowed humbly to her.

"…..You… I heard what you are embarking on…and I do not support. We have not done any analysis on you for any trauma. If you knew what they physically did to mutilate you, I…It was not easy to navigate through your systems. I do not want to see you so lost,…not ever," she softly spoke out. It was hard work and if she had to do again, it was hard to even document how it was done. 

"I would never wish this upon anyone, not even my worst enemy, or someone from a rival clan, Kremnine," he lowered his head down and looked back at her. 

"Do not mention it…I am a healer first and I cannot discriminate," she turned slightly. "The units may be able to detect you. The wires feed in protocols constantly and expect checksums, Jax and I can fake that signal every couple of hours. But you would not be in sync with the rest of them."

"This is good information, it is a risk I have to take," he give her shoulder a light squeeze.

"Come back as yourself,…Sub-Zero," she said.

"My name is Kuai Liang," he thought he flashed a smile in his face but realized his inability to move his muscles and form facial expressiveness.

"Rae…my name is Quan Rae," she nodded. 

There was something about the way she talked, it made him feel very close to her and appreciate her persona as he finally took notice of her gentle nature. Her rather teasing attitude with him was gone, perhaps due of the gravity of the days that had passed. 

His sensors picked up many readings on her and he could not help but say, "You should rest, you are exhausted. I am to blame."

"I might…" she smiled at him. "I will wish for you to come back by the time I wake up."

Kuai Liang slid his hand from her shoulder to her hand, it felt very small now in comparison to his robotic hands and he gave a small squeeze. Then he turned her palm upwards and formed a ice rose as a thank you. Rae brought the flower up to her eyes and was amused by the level of detail and how thin he had made each petal. She give him a genuine smile. He picked up a spike in her heart rate and a visible hue of pink swept into her cheeks. He did not dare think much of it, and concluded she must be shy. He certainly looked forward to spending some time with her again upon his return and satisfy himself with a fair introduction to clear his mind of all previous misconceptions he had of Kremnine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be ready for some lemon next chapter!


	5. Cyber Sub-Zero (mature)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> subby only makes it to 3rd base since he likely has no cyber wang. Let's face it the Lin Kuei wouldn't want that. I intend for more descriptive lemons. If you do have a review, I would love to hear feedback too that I am on the right or wrong track. Hehhe.

A/N - Yessss! An opening for a mature chapter - enjoy!

……..

MORTAL KOMBAT 3 BRACKET - NIGHTFALL

With Sub-Zero came back from his mission not as a slave, he paid the small Tengu healer a visit, she was visibly happy to see him and truthfully she cannot tell if he was pleased in return but she figure he certainly did not have to visit her if he did not care. Since she reacted so pleasantly with the ice rose, this time he formed an ice orchid in his palm and held her hand and placed it there. She made this strange face at him and then looked back at the orchid and raised an eyebrow. 

"You dislike it?" He asked.

"It is beautiful, you have talent but I have to give it back for now," she passed it back to him, "You should know, passing an Orchid to another within the Tengu is to initiate romance. I do not think you knew."

"My…apologizes," he responds with a gush of steam coming out of the vents. He crushed it in his palm and she gives a small gasp. Deep down she did not want him to break up a masterpiece, it would have been nice if he just gave it to her anyways despite that. She gave a nervous laugh, covering her mouth with a fist. But then he remained silent.

"Are you alright?" She asked. 

"I am better with the smile you give me…During my undercover, I ran into my brother, I barely recognized him, he stood before me garbed in black and spoke nothing but obedience for Quan Chi."

"I have seen that man before…yes shortly after your brother's demise. He called himself Noob Saibot. He was heavily corrupt, I thought him a different person all together."

"I would have wished to be able to have him restore himself," he looked downwards and to the side. 

She closed their distance and gave him a hug, the cyborg was taken back, a emit of steam came out of his vents. 

That was a short lived reunion. Sub-Zero focused though on filling in the team with his findings and Rae had to attend to a few wounded. The team were still waiting for Nightwolf's return but many had to get some shut eye for the night. 

She had been sleeping in a room next to Liu Kang. He was a good neighbour, always polite and courteous and reminding her things such as when is breakfast and the like out of the nature of his kind and gentle heart.

The only down side: the night when Kitana started sneaking into his room was when Rae realized the connecting vents were not so sound proof.

She heard the creaking of furniture and the profane moans. By the elder gods, she heard every detail….how it was Liu Kang's first time, to him begging for more and Kitana telling him how hard she is coming. Rae got up, shifted the chairs and tables in her room to see if the sounds she made would echo to her neighbour's room and have the pair convinced to be more quiet about their intimacy. 

Unfortunately, it had little effect, other than her hearing the response by Liu Kang "Do you think Kremnine could hear us?"

"Let her…perhaps she enjoys it," Kitana laughed. "Ready for Round 2?"

By the elder gods, Rae rolled her eyes, she needs to get out of there! She still wanted some shut eye. 

She quietly exited her room and found a nice quiet study room in the lowest basement with seating and hung on a wall was a very articulate painting of the Angels battling demons. It was not a morbid photo and was rather inspiring. She was smiling ear to ear and head to the kitchen to find herself wine and enjoy in that in the lovely spot with hope that the alcohol will knock her out. Though she first frowned at Stryker who brought back alcohol, it certain had benefits especially now. 

When she returned back to the spot and placed down the opened bottled and drink ware, she noticed that Sub-Zero was sitting right where she was planning to sleep on. 

"Oh umm….i did not realize, apologies," she scratched her jawline nervously hiding her disappointment of peace and quiet.

"I do not sleep now that I am machine. You should enjoy it while you can," he advised. 

"There….is a valid reason I should not return to my quarters….." She blushed and wanted to change the topic by staring at the painting. "Nice view, right?" 

"Yes," he looked at her, she was wearing a white capped sleeved a-line shirtdress that ended at mid thigh. It was not anything fancy but it made her look human and vulnerable. Her shyness had become something that entertained him. As soon as he was done looking at her from head to toe, he quickly faced the artwork. "I meant the painting. I had been here for the night, yes," He filled in the awkward silence and she started sipping on the wine while standing. He cleared his throat and was partly surprised he can still express that kind of sound,"…You….want to have a seat?"

"That was the plan," she tensed her shoulders slightly and timidly sat beside him. "I thought I can knock myself out…before that happens…I want to apologize for my earlier animosity when we first met."

"It is I who should apologize. For years, I had been brought up to believe the Lin Kuei were superior amongst the rest of the clans. But I know now that a human soul is worth far more than a machine," he looked at her to analyze her reaction.

"I suppose we start over," she leaned back with her head tilted down, hands placed on upper thighs aligned to the centre of her body. There was something so dainty and precious about her without the Kremnine armour that caught his attention. She tilted her head back to normal position and looked at him with positivity, "From day to day at the Tengu outposts, I take care of all medical emergencies especially when I am not focused on kombat. I was raised by our leader, Wu Lae, he was the younger brother of the grandmaster who had married my mother….. Until Quan C---they…..when I was born, my mother preformed hara ki---huh… admittedly, my upbringing does not sound pleasant," She ended her conversation wide eyed and embarrassed.

That day was cursed, Quan Chi and his horde of demons entered earthrealm to seek out potential allies for Shao Kahn and the Tengu tried to thwart his entry. Quan Chi challenged the grandmaster, the Kremnine, to Mortal Kombat. When the grandmaster lost and was executed, Quan Chi noted his beautiful wife and forced her under submission. This was how he gave birth to this current Kremnine. For years the Tengu were slaves to Quan Chi, not that he even knew Rae existed. As he had abandoned the Tengu over five-ten years ago when Quan Chi set interest towards the Lin Kuei. She, herself, was sent to participate the tournament by the current grandmaster, Wu Lae to aid in Earthrealm's defence and find opportunity to kill the sorcerer for a justice long overdue. 

"It is..alright…my upbringing does not sound good either. I was taken away from my family when I was a child. They were killed…It is the way the Lin Kuei had always recruited. My older brother Bi-Han, who you are well acquainted with but he had always watched out for me. Some missions were…morally difficult but he took them in my stead should I be the initial assignee. I…used to think he did that to protect me but I am realizing he did that because he was remorseless."

"Both our pasts are not worth sharing tonight then, we should save that conversation on another fitting night. How about we talk about the now?" She looked to the painting and then looked back at where his eyes should have been.

"Now?" He inquired, unsure if she meant how they were alone together.

She gave a slight laugh looking down at her drink, "I could not believe you did as I suggested, walking up to the Outworld emperor openly in front of public and made demands of him. I did not mean it at the time….I am sorry."

"If I thought about how I could have ended Scorpion, I found no joy in it. You were right, there is an art to when to fight or not fight. There is no justice, no revenge, just a void." 

"You are your own mind again, there is joy to that," She faced him again. 

"What future could I have in this form?" He looked downward, ashamed of his new body regardless that he is more powerful now with the metal exoskeleton and enhancements.

Perhaps it was the alcohol kicking in making her less shy and reserved around him, or perhaps she pitied of his deformity. In terms of any human remains of him, mainly the front of his face, parts of his skull and his brain remained but he will never be able to make a single expression. But she continued the topic with attempt to make him feel human again, "Being a machine must have some benefits, for example, I would use that voice synthesizer and sing with it."

"That is hardly a blessing…what joy comes from singing as a machine?"

"Urban millennials seem quite invested into r&b and hip hop, perhaps you can get famous that way after, you are now acquainted with an actor and should you pursue a career in music, you would be the first robot artist."

He made a grunt to disregard her nonsense but pulled out his front mouth piece and handed to her. For once exposing parts of his remaining real skin to fresh air.

"Alright!" She smiled ear to ear and held the item to her face and decided to give it a test. She almost looked like a kid in a candy store with a pink hue across her cheeks.

"Baby…I like the way you..move  
I know you want to take those…baby steps…up the staircase. ---staaaiiirrcaaase  
Baby…you know look so…fine  
Must be that onesie that I…gave at your…baby shower----ooonnneesieee"

"What on earth is that? That is not even a song city dwellers would approve," Sub-Zero critiqued unsure if he was suppose to laugh. Although his mind is telling him to flash a smile, he was disappointed she would not be able to see it even through whatever he had for a face exposed. 

"I am not degrading to sing nonsense of being at a club and getting drunk," she pressed her lips together and made a face at him while handing him back his mouthpiece and ironically sipped more wine. Her eyes lingering on what remained of his face. Parts of his cheeks were removed in place of the metal interface. A large circular plate with scanners replaced one eye. The only fleshed face she can is from the brow of side to a strong tipped nose and thin lip and a hint of cheek and chin.

"Thank you…for making me feel human again," lacking expression, he could not express it in a way that satisfied him. How he loathed being so inhuman and incomplete. "During hot summer months, several comrades and I would gather around a campfire for drinks; it was a time of relief. This brings back those memories and this had been very…very…….."

He was moving to place the compartment back on his face out of his embarrassment, at least the notion of his voice breaking up and trailing certainly suggested it. However before the metal connected to this face, she grabbed his arm and inched closer to get a better look at him. 

"Do you hate seeing yourself?" She asked curiously and this time can look at his only remaining eye which were still the same ice blue.

"Everything else is replaced by metal exoskeleton…It disgusts me."

He moved his arm in an attempt to put his mouthpiece back on but then froze when he felt her press his hand down again.

"You look fine," she assured and gave him a quick peck slightly under the side of his lips.

He read her vitals and and her temperature had spiked momentarily, this was the third time he noted this, perhaps a sign of interest? Was he even anyone worth being interested in, especially in his current form? A trail of steam was gushing out the sides of his head vents. 

"Um…Maybe I was not supposed to…It was…nice," she looked sideways shyly and finished her drink and set down the glass. Perhaps she is a bit drunk, what made her so attracted to him and be bold? He certainly did not have a full face and hair for her to analyze his attractiveness and of course she never really how he looked like prior. There was just something about his essence of soul that drew her to him.

He leaned over, placing his fingers on her chin and tilted her to face him and placed his lips against hers. Their lips played and explored the texture of each other's and she licked his lips for entry. He opened his mouth and met her tongue. She noted he did not quite taste human, there was definitely a metallic tinge like licking oiled stainless steel but she did not mind it as much as she thought initially. 

He moved to hover over her and push her to lie down on the seating. As he did so, he wanted to be sure he was not putting his full weight on her.

He leaned down for another feeling of lips but truthfully he lost his taste buds and the stimulus he was enjoying this was really from sense of touch, sight and to satisfy desire. 

She slid her hands along his back, touching the cool metal frame, it was kind of strange to her and very foreign. His lips then travelled to her neck and found a rather sensitive spot for her and she giggled slightly. He pulled back with a sense of insecurity due to the small laugh but she arched up and kissed him again, dragging him downward to be flush against her.

His hand moves to touch her breast, cupping the form and giving a light a squeeze to learn of its softness unlike the time his made an iron grip on it. He began to pull her shirt up and expose her stomach. 

"Oh …oh!" She reacted out of surprise more than pleasure she personally did not know how far they can go. "Are we…?"

"I…will not continue unless you approve," he watched her eyes analyzing that there was nervousness within in. 

Truth is, now she feels like a hypocrite from being annoyed of Kitana and Liu Kang to doing probably the same equivalent thing, however a cyborg and human being can make love. She tensed her shoulders for a moment and then dropped them and slightly formed a small smile, "We can."

Soon he stripped away her clothing and she was bare for him to see the small frame. He dipped down down to cup her breast with one hand, thumb on the nipple and rolled it while latching his lips on the other moving his head left to right just slightly while sucking on the hardened nub. He looked up and saw her face flushed, breathing unevenly and her hand burrowed into the exposed wires behind his head. 

Moving down, he kissed her ribs and her belly button registering in his mind how soft and smooth the skin felt and is. All the meanwhile is hand slowly travelled towards to her lower regions. She blinked a few times anticipating the next moments. He lowered down further and placed his mouth against her privates. She gasp and her eyes darted to the back of her head. While lapping at her core, he realized his sense of taste and smell had been replaced by sub systems that detect only whether the atmosphere was poison or humid. 

She arched her back forward having a good view of him licking and sucking the skin. He slipped a finger in making her tense her shoulders initially from the intrusion of metal digits in her most private of areas. 

He can still feel texture, roaming his finger in the caverns and finding a round nub at the end, mentally he reminded himself to be considerate and not push her too hard as…truthfully if this was all they could have, he would be content. If she decided on someone closer to home, she would still have her maidenhood.

He began to beckon while trying to locate the right spot, once he made contact, she wrapped her hands in a strong grip around his neck and began to pant and moan into his audio inputs. Eventually he figured out a speedy rhythm with his tongue which forced her to react by thrashing and a wetness flowed periodically. He remembered the Lin Kuei brethren who admitted to have engage in physical activity with the opposite gender. The men mentioned how some women faked it. His scanners proved this was the latter case. Eventually, it difficult for her to suppress her voice and she twisted and twitched as she came. She took a few breaths to come to her senses, eyes darting randomly.

When he moved his hand away from her lower region, she then guided him into a seated position, got into his lap and whispered, "I want to bring you to pleasure, tell me how."

"I…." He became quite embarrassed. "….do not have the right parts in my body anymore."

"Oh? The brain is the largest sexual organ which I believe you still have intact," She reached to stroke his inner thigh, his mind registered he was excited even though he did not actually feel a stimulus from his body. She cupped her hand between his legs where he would have once had a sexual organ. There was registration in his brain of excitement again and he gave a low growl. Truthfully if she kept repeating her motion, Eventually it does nothing for him.

She showered him with kisses and then moved her hand back on his chest, and breathed, "Hmm I do not know the art of dirty talk. You witnessed that first hand through my singing. I will work on it." 

He managed to make the sound of chuckling.

"But…I have…grown fond of you, Kuai Liang. What you appear to me as is irrelevant, I see only what is here," she concluded tapping his forehead and then giving it a kiss. 

He grabbed the back of her head and crushed his lips against hers. He wrapped one arm around his waist and the other cupping her rear to tightly collide their bodies at the pelvises. He grind against her out of a natural human movement but eventually pulled her back a little and guided his hand into the caverns below again. 

He can continue the same motion without interruption, he no longer was worn down by fatigue. Rae pondered how this pleasure is even possible. She was out of her senses fighting back screams.

"Let me hear you," he huskily said.

"Ha…I do not want…ahhh…the others to hear!" She laughed softly while between mews. 

"If you wake them up, I will be first to let you know," he teased.

She knew his scanning capability was elaborate and somehow told herself, should she really be all that surprised? She wanted to say something but the hard moaning got to the point of her losing her voice. Her body temperature has been unbearable and she was sweating along her thighs. She drowsily rested her head on his shoulder blade and shuddered: breath heavy, eyes drooped and cheeks the colour of red. She arrived at the second wave with a shudder, fluids on Kuai Liang and the seat fabric. Her body had become so sensitized, she was starting to feel uncomfortable.

She dropped her head on his shoulder and her body slumped on him, "I am going to pass out…no more" 

"Flawless victory?" He threw another tease.

"You stop!" She laughed softly while being completely limp. He helped her move off that particular spot and eventually he helped put her shirt back on and he sat them both down on another long seat. Her head rested on his lap almost in a collapsing movement with her face looking away. He quickly put his mouth piece back on not sure if he ever showed the concept of a blush himself. He took a scan, registering her uneven breaths and trembling body. Eventually, the reading went to a calm and a steady pace when she had fallen asleep.

How odd that he is learning and experiencing courtship as a cyborg who interprets and analyzes the interaction differently than a human would. The events that just happened replayed in his mind in perfect recollection now that he is in this cyborg form. This was going to be a long night.


	6. Quan Chi

MORTAL KOMBAT 3 BRACKET - EARLY MORNING

Sub-Zero was asked to join the rest of his allies to discuss plans just in time for Nightwolf's return in the early morning. He did not wake his new found love interest but left a ice orchid in the room for her to wake up to, formally requesting for romance.  
When he gathered with the group he simply told his allies she had some important studies to tend to. 

Though in the most unfortunate of events, the Lin Kuei stormed the base followed by Sindel's attack. He was not the slightest bit prepared for it but as if unplugging a toaster, he was stripped of life. The last thought was that he unintentionally left Rae in the open.

………….

?????

She woke up suddenly from a pool of green liquid, this is some suspension fluid which forced those submerged to fall into eternal slumber. How on earth is she waking up in this? She then felt herself being dragged and she looked up and saw no one other than Scorpion. She felt drowsy as a side effect of the pool and didn't struggle. 

Quan Rae was brought before Quan Chi in some sort of sealed off chamber in chains with Scorpion holding on to them. "I had wondered how many times you can heal yourself until I finally killed you." Her father said.

"I would kill you, in a heartbeat," she whispered. 

"Oh…? I may have beaten you to the chase."

She looked down at herself but did not see a visual difference, she did not feel different. But she realized she must be in the Netherealm. She normally could not enter or exist here. Unless…she has nothing human left in her. 

"You know why you woke up at the pool?" Quan Chi motioned at the pool of green liquid. She did not respond, She narrowed her eyes at him. With a snap of a finger, he teleported a mirror in front of her. She knew she was looking at herself…but then she spotted the differences, her lips now a dark purple, her eyes now as red as the sorcerer', her skin almost two shades whiter. She had become a demon. But this could only happen if she……died. Then the half human component of her dies leaving her dead and demonic. She couldn't believe it, she was killed off in her sleep?!

"I will keep you in there until you reconsider joining my cause. Meanwhile, perhaps I will wake you every now and then to inform you of the death of your allies," Quan Chi suggested. 

"You cannot!" She pleaded trying to struggle against Scorpion but she was taken back when a figure of cold mist came out of the shadows. 

For a second, she was delighted to see him but then realized how wrong he looked. He was naked before her and his skin was a veiny grey blue…this is a revenant, but this is also Kuai Liang.

"I heard you two are close. I am pleased for you. Shall I send you off to him as a bride as a token of appreciation for all deeds he will do in my name for the days to come?"

"Stop…." She urged knowing he is saying things with intention to break her.

"Does that proposition please you, Sub-Zero? I am bringing you much happiness you could not have sought out in your living life."

"You do me great honour, my master," the undead cyromancer bowed. 

"It is settled," Quan Chi smirked.

"No, no…" she glared at the Shirai Ryu wraith, someone who still is capable of his own thoughts. "You talk of honour and yet you let something like this unfold before you?"

"What you and that Lin Kuei do is none of my concern," the man in yellow spat.

"Enough, I will have you dressed well my dear, it is your wedding night tonight," the sorcerer said with a wave of hand, he and Kuai Liang disappeared, yet appearing before her was Kitana, Jade and a woman she never met with long white hair, all were revenants.

"Jade, Kitana, stay back!" She begged.

"We are happy to help send you off," Kitana responded before her and Jade both grabbed hold of the chains and dragged Rae across the floor to another room, as she was dragged she tried to look once again at Scorpion, in hopes to ignite a sense of humanity in the man, but he simply turned from looking at her. 

She was chained down to the new room when the women dressed her into some sort of red floral silk she figured Sub-Zero was supposed to recognize. What on earth happened since she fell asleep? There are some details she needs to know.

"Why are you all dead? How long have I been in the pool?" She asked.

"We all been dead for a day including you. But death is not so unfortunate as we are no longer victims towards a losing cause. It would appear you take on another form upon death. You have been in the pool for the same amount of time for as long as we were perished, but it is clear being submerged in it already takes a toil on you," Sindel responded and then leaned in smirking. "…I was going to look for you next after I killed most of your friends at the church. Thankfully, Quan Chi has a very reliable wraith who personally delivered you here."

Red flowers were placed in Kremnine's hair and then she left alone still with with her ankle chained to a pillar in the room. 

"You have got to be kidding me," she said as she looked a full body mirror in the room. Truthfully, her and Kuai Liang just became close and this is not fair Quan Chi is playing mind games with her. She realized something too, why did he not turn her into a revenant? Perhaps because he could not and could not control her. Demons are supposed to be corrupt…perhaps this is all he has remaining to do to her.

The two mentioned men appeared in the room, Kuai Liang was dressed in a black robe this time thankfully. He almost did not even care how she looked and only paid attention to Quan Chi. This bothered her. 

"Do as you please," Quan Chi ordered.

"Yes, master," Sub-Zero nodded.

The sorcerer left them alone and now she is feeling sick to the stomach. The revenant approached her and she thought fast on how to get herself out of the situation.

"Kuai Liang, we need to get out of here," she tugged his arm. He did not move or react. "Kuai!" She urged again and struggled to bring her body and spirit up to speed. 

If he dares violate her because Quan Chi said so, she will knock him down but she has one shot and he has to be unconscious long enough for her to escape. He continues to approach her and she noticed the smell of dead flesh upon him. He leaned in for a kiss but she circled quickly around the pillar to avoid him. 

She had hope she can circle around him fast enough to kick him behind the head but with the gown, she realized it impeded her movement. He turned to look at her quizzically as she did not make her full circle on time and halted in place when the dead pupils pierced into her red ones.

"I left you an orchid by the room when we last were together," he said. "You know do you not?"

She held her breath for a second, the orchid for a Tengu meant a lot. It was a painful thing for her to realize. She had no doubt Sub-Zero was not a liar but this is a revenant. She understands the magic, a lasting spell that gives the soul a physical body yet retain past memories. The body and brain reacts similar to substance abuse and addiction towards pleasing the master. Any original or previous thoughts seems manipulated. But Quan Chi has to constantly maintain this spell. So maybe there is a way she can make the sorcerer run out of energy. She has to try.

He reached for her and pulled her to him in an embrace and she almost gagged from the strong scent of death around him. She started casting an energy drain spell silently and debated on how she should hurt him to defend herself. If she does not react quick, things here can go bad quick. He then pulled back and moved in for a kiss, but she pushed forward, dragging him, both fell to the floor on their sides and Rae was able to get up fast and was about to kick him in the head. 

Before she could, she was dragged down when he pulled hard on the floor length dress causing some of the fabric to tear; she fell along with it. Knowing she is locked in here with him she wondered how long she can keep this up. The only favourable condition is if he or she tore enough of the dress down for her to use her legs in battle or she can slowly drain more energy from him. But she is too focused on parrying his hands.

She tries to dart up to encourage the dress fabric to tear but he also pulls himself up quickly. She pushes him with a light shockwave to distance him.

"What are you trying to do?" She keeps the pillar between them.

"Quan Chi has reunited us, we make do with our new beginning," he responded as if he was following some script a slave should say.

"He participated in your kill, what part of you hold him with little esteem?"

"He has freed me, all hate has been abated," he took a few steps to be in arms distance with her and she can smell him. 

"You are too close," she sighed and looks away. A part of her is thankful he hasn't forced himself completely on her. She has to believe a core part of his personality is still there.

"Why must you push me away?" 

"You are not you, at least not entirely."

"I am Sub-Zero I am no longer a machine. Remaining a machine would not have been fair to you."

"What is you would do with your ordered command?" 

"I would….i would……" he seemed to stutter unsure how far he was instructed to go.

"If you bring me happiness, does it not satisfy the 'do' as you please?" 

"I would like that."

"I want to escape, it makes me happy that you can do that for me."

Now he seems conflicted, as though he cannot make a decision without the master. Perhaps, she can silently drain enough energy to reduce the revenant spell. She must have some sort of new capabilities as a demon, but just have figured it out yet.

"I will help get rid of your deathly appearance. Help me find Raiden," she took on step closer.

"He had been here not long ago….he has forsaken us to our own demise." 

"He….What?" She leaned in to look at his eyes but it felt so odd to look at dull, lifeless orange yellow pupils. She thought this for a moment….Raiden could have only come by after 'everyone' was killed by Sindel. Yes….this is logically sound to her, she would leave too if she was in the same boat.

"Draw on the pillar, how do I get out? Please tell me you will join me." She asked again.

He pulled her in and then started tracing her body lazily with a brush of his fingers. This was odd. The pattern was not repeated or random and while he brush across breast the motion was not fully intended to simulate….perhaps he means to subconsciously give her the answer. She closed her eyes just to focus on feeling where he trying to tell her to go. Except she needs this set of instructions again as she did not clue in the first time until part way through.

At the end of the brushing of his fingers, he pressed his lips to hers. She coughed a little from the odd taste and decided to bear it. 

"Can you….do what you did earlier…again?" She asked hesitantly when she had a chance to pull away, a feeling of guilt that she is only doing this to get intel….then she will make a move. He tilted his head unsure why she would want to repeat that. He does as asked with one of his hands while wrapping the other around her and kissed more passionately this time around. She believes she has mapped out the touch at the conclusion of his hand motions. 

As much as it pains her, she began to trail kisses along his chin, eliciting moans from him. She began moving on down the neck but holding back to urge to make a face when her lips brushed against the veiny skin texture. She licked along the turtle neck part of his robe and then moving around his neck, she made it appear she was going around him to loosen his attire but she hits him hard on the back of the neck, rendering him unconscious. 

She sends a shockwave to the chains but this also breaks her legs due to the proximity. She bit back the urge to scream but once she was freed, she healed her broken bones and flesh quickly and steps out of the small room back into the larger chamber. She remembered he hinted she has to head a certain direction but she could not make out a door. She searches for a possible exit point. When she couldn't she sent a shockwave and saw a tunnel behind the hole she made. Finally, she pushed through to a hall with another shockwave and proceeded. 

She did not get as far as she had hoped. She ran right into Jade. She should have known better because she smelled corpse.

"You must return," Jade said prepared to take Kremnine down by force. 

"You need to wake up," Rae replied and they exchanged blows. Rae not having the advantage of reach anymore without her scythe. She managed to charge and tackle Jade and sent a shockwave to her head, bringing her down as well. Rae quickly preformed the energy drain a little better on Jade now that she can properly cast it. Rae dragged Jade out of sight and proceeded the path, it seemed like she was on the right trail but sooner or later, the scent of death appeared in all directions. She was intercepted by several revenant allies. She looked in shock and sadness seeing Nightwolf, Stryker, Kung Lao, Jax, Kabal and Smoke blocking her path. Quan Chi appeared before her a second later with another revenant, Liu Kang. She was tortured mentally to see the man there as everyone believed he would be the champion of earth. Is everyone dead? Is earth done for?

"I had matters to attend to but I am disappointed that you deceived Sub-Zero." 

Kitana appeared before her dragging along an injured Jade. Now Rae has no where to go unless she wants to fight her way through everyone and she used most of her energy in the shockwaves already.

"Jade has not been delivering to expectations…I see she is the weakest link," Quan Chi noted.

"Please, I…," Jade said groggily and then looked sadly into Kremnine's eyes and gave a small node, a motion that scared Rae. 

Quan Chi made a nod and Kitana unhesitatingly cuts off Jade's head at the middle with the fan blade. Rae covered her mouth. She just hoped Jade's soul can at least be free somewhere. Jade and Kitana were close, to see Kitana lose sight of that was revolting. Kitana then stared blankly at the floor, as if she was trying to clue in to what crime she committed. This gave Rae some idea that the revenants still have a part of them inside but she won't always have an opportunity to cast spells on them.

"If you escape again, I may have to end whomever failed to watch over you," he warned her before facing his minions, "Please do escort my dear daughter, but it would appear we are in need of a new chamber," he concluded. She couldn't tell which one but one of the several revenants walked up to her and covered her head with a large cloth and it was tied behind her head. Another tied her hands behind her and then one carried her. Based on the feeling and scent of metal she at least knew it was Jax slugging her over his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: massive apologies to Jade lovers, I personally think she is the hottest gal of MK9 except I had to fit her in between the events of MK9 to MKX. I would have preferred to make Kremnine fight Sektor instead but truly I was actually confused which side he was technically fighting for if he fought at the MK Tournament. Eeekkk please forgive.
> 
> oh yes...next chapter is a rape scene please skip if it is not your thing.


	7. Revenant Sub-Zero (Explicit)

A/N: definitely a rape scene of Kremnine x Revenant Sub-Zero. Please skip if it is not your thing as I get descriptive with my lemons.

……….

She was sitting in a room on a bed alone for sometime, not really having the means to remove the eye cover while the chains kept her arms behind her. She heard sounds around her but not in the room she was in, she heard moaning and screeching from dreaded souls outside which added to her anxiety of being left alone without knowing how much time had passed although she finally came to acknowledge she did not feel hunger or thirst anymore. She then heard a creaking noise of a door opening and closing. This presence walked up to her. She felt a mist of cool yet rotten scent and knew it was Revenant Sub-Zero. 

"Do you despise me?" He asked and he pulled off the fabric preventing her vision. She blinked a few times registering light into her eyes. The room was dimly lit with candles and had a very dreadful atmosphere about it.

"I do not. You should know that but I simply do not want to remain in this place."

"I do not understand then. Had you cooperated, we would not be in this situation."

"What is it you expect me to do?"

"We consummate, it is what my master declares."

"If you fail, are you next?" She asked, she was told the next person who fails will cease to exist. No response…well no matter what, some ally of hers will pay for any new attempts. "Is this what you want?"

"I wanted you, since the last time we were intimate. I do."

She now understands the gravity of the situation she is in, she can play along until she has a viable way out. She could have gotten caught with the spell she casted on Jade earlier and it may have partially worked. The memory of Jade's pleading eyes and giving her a nod were not the expressions of a revenant. A sense of guilt washed over Quan Rae, she won't use the spell until she understands how to use her newly acquired powers.

He pushed her down flat on the bed and climbed on top. She felt uncomfortable lying down with her hands behind her and with Sub-Zero's weight on top. 

He gave a couple kisses which she did not return and was fighting back urges of vomiting but it certainly did not discourage him of becoming more passionate with the next brushing of lips.

He proceeded to remove her attire, either by ripping or removal of the garment depending on how easy that was. As he exposed breast, he was quick to latch in his hand and mouth on and play with the soft mounds. Lowering the temperature of his hands or tongue to add to disrupt her. Rae's face grew red and her emotions had betrayed her when certain actions of his simulated her. She was trying to focus on how dead he smelled or just how grey his skin is. Very quickly she had nothing on. He proceeded to rip his own attire and kick off any remaining garments.

She turned her head away as if that purplish, veiny body before her was not the body she wanted to appreciate, but he turns her chin to face him and she pitied the sight of his body even though the form was humanoid. He roughly grabbed her hips, laid flush against her and rocked against her. After a few grinds, he slowly moved forward until he was kneeling in front of her chest. 

His arousal a mere few inches away from her. He slide his hand behind her head. His other stroked himself in front of her. Then he tapped his the tip against her closed lips. She did not really want to engage with his current mental state but then eventually her tongue slipped out and she began licking the underside. As she lapped along, she admitted to herself she was not overall good at being able to compare size but it certain did not look like it would fit anywhere in her. 

He moaned and his knees gripped her shoulders tighter. He pushed forward again and he was now dangling and pressed up to her lips. She reluctantly opens her mouth and lets him in. He gave a very low growl and crouched over his upper body, wrapping his one hand around her neck, the other pulled her body upwards to get closer contact. 

If Rae got a little lazy with the motions, he may give instructions of what he needed or grab her head and thrusted. Revenant skin is certainly revolting with all the veins, dead texture and rotten flavours. She almost choked when she had a sample of his liquids in its decaying state. He pulled out out panting a few times knowing his is as far as he would go here.

His hand then slid downwards and began stroking a place she would not word out below. While she squirmed and tried to bend her knees and bring it to block his path, eventually they got into a position where she seemed to have been flipped around with chest down. He pushed her legs back flat with his free hand. He still remembered the night they engaged as a cyborg and human, there were benefits to being a cyborg after all as he learned her body better that she likely knew it. He knew where and how to make her tremble and cry out.

He slipped a finger in and went straight for the spot that made her twitch so hard last time. Immediately, her body betrayed her and she was bucking. She felt a second digit going through and it felt like as if her body was being stretched out. Her body twists against the beckoning he gave. He leaned down, cupped the soft rear with his free hand and gave the fleshy globes a kiss. She scrunched her face in embarrassment and told herself the real Kuai would not behave this way.

Her breathing hitched as his other hand began adjusting her body, flipping her on her back, parting the legs, angling her body and bending at the knees. He pulled his fingers out to focus on his arousal It would be second or two more when she can tell he was positioning himself for a very rude entry.

"Ahhh……" she panted, eye widening at the feeling of contact. Though he rocked back and forth at short distances to allow him to burrow further, the initial stretching of skin certainly felt a bit painful. As he became fully engaged, she felt violated, that feeling was soon overwhelmed by his slow, rough pumping movements and the feeling of simulation. She eventually felt a sudden jolt to her body, the pain was gone but she did not expect a trailing liquid trickling down. She shudders understanding what had just happened with her maidenhood, something she was always brought up to take seriously and remain conserved. 

She dropped her head against the mattress in some form of defeat. She had to turn her head away when she saw red below at where their bodies had connected. To make matters worse, she hated the mirrors she can see in the room, the visuals further disgusted her.

He flipped her over on her knees and pulled hard the chains at the wrists so she would not face plant then placed himself back to the abyss. She began to moan as the angle was hitting her sweet spot over and over again. He hands snake in, one wrapped around breast and supporting their weight, the other one wrapped around her hip and started to stroke her lower regions with a pattern he remembered he was able to perfect as a cyborg. Her legs shook, her face was flushed and she hated feeling like she was powerless. 

She bites back moaning but as he places his hands on her hips and then began to drive harder and faster, she found it hard to suppress sounds all together, an occasional scream and she began to buck back. She shuddered and knew her body just betrayed her as a wetness flowed. He slipped on hand around her chin and tilted her head up and he leaned in towards her pressing his lips to her ears.

"Am I hurting you?" He whispered against her ear, lips brushing her cheekbone.

She continues to moan and did not answer.

"Do you want me to stop?" He prompt and thrusted hard and deep against that sensitive spot. She cried out. If she replied, it was not as though he would though.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked again, more huskily and lightly chewed her ear lobe. She trembled and tilted her head down but he wasn't ready to stop questioning her. "I know you enjoy this, why can you not just accept?" 

She narrows her eyes and refused to give verbal response. He then pulled out and reversed their positions, with his back against the headboard and pulling her in to him and reuniting lips. His tongue slide past her lips and ravaged her mouth. He reaches behind her and then freezes and breaks the chains, letting her go. Her hands were numb from being crushed but he guides both of them to the front of her body and she had brought both hands to heart centre as if trying to cover herself.

As she pulled back she looked around as if wanting to escape but he would not have that this time. He gripped her and shifted her body around with her back against his chest and lifted her up, both their legs spread apart and bent. His arms wrapped around her thighs and bent body letting her knees droop over his forearms. She was now aligned to be slipped into and see it as it happens. 

The sight before her was getting nauseating seeing dried red splatters and new whitish liquids on the sheets and on their bodies here and there. She felt his lips against her ears and heard the command, "Put it in."

She clumsily reaches for his arousal and guides it back to where it felt whole. She cries out but not really in pain just something she wanted to end. It fell on deaf ears as he continued to thrust with a force that made her body bounce from inertia. If she leaned her head forward, she hated what she saw below, the way her body moved and and the connection of the sexual organs. If she looked straight, she sees the mirror and seeing the whole picture is just as hard, especially when she can see his eyes looking there there too. If she leaned her head back, it gave leeway for him to lick, suck and nip at her ear and neck. She really did not know what was best for her other than close her eyes and expect things to be over. In her mind, she focused thinking on how she missed the gentler real Kuai Liang. Closing her eyes did little; she still had her neck attacked, she still heard this man's grunts and smelled his scent and she cannot escape the pulsations.

He eventually slipped out of this position and gave a few pants, she figured he may be close. Then she dreaded on the finishing. She became quite teary eyed when he reversed positions into a traditional missionary instead. 

He was not blind to this and licked her tears then gave a few kisses under her brows before slipping in and putting his weight on her body. His hand intertwined with hers. Her other arm at this point reached his back with palm against his nape and finger dug into this thick hair. His other hand snaked behind and it first seemed like it was intending to simply cup her rear but in seconds, a cold finger began probing into another virgin hole in her anal region. She grabbed on his shoulders and out some force into trying to push him off but in their current position he had more opportunity to hold her down. The digit dove in deeper and began to move in and out just like how he resumed his rhythm which was now urgent for release inside her genitalia; he cared little at this point if she was uncomfortable if at all. 

Another digit joined into the backside, giving her a very uncomfortable and foreign burning pain as the digits moved in and out in sync with his member. As he slammed within into her , her body was pushed just as hard into the mattress. He then scrunched his face and spoke, "I…am cumming," thrusting harder than before, his head arched back, lips parted and moaning loudly. 

When he was finished, she couldn't take it anymore and the tears flowed down her pale face. She turned her head to the side, annoyed she let herself be degraded this way. He cooed her a few times and wrapped his arms around her. Her hand put into a fist and the index knuckle pressed against her lips to tell herself to stop the tears. Finally, she did but felt lifeless like he really is. He picked her up bridal style to another small room where he grabbed towels for both of them to be in. He set her feet on the floor and held her hand guiding her to a bathtub. 

Rae sat in the tub and cuddled into a ball with her head titled down and lips submerged. She blew some bubbles with her mouth and kept thinking about how filthy she has been made. He joined her in the tub and picked up a sponge and began to brush himself clean. She still refused to move so he moved closer to get her washed up. She parried his hand with one of hers then began to brush her own shoulders and chest. He moved to brush her legs and eventually moved to her lower regions and she gave a glare. But he carefully brushed her lower body without further upsetting her. 

When he was done, he got in close for one kiss. Despite he did just shower, that vile scent of his did not vanish completely. He then pulled back and walked over to shelf and handed her a white sleeping gown and towel. No doubt she was to be brought back to the sleeping pool. She crawled out of the tub and dried herself. He moved to the same shelf and dried himself then returned to his Sub-Zero uniform. While his outfit was more elaborate than hers, she took the same amount of time to get dressed out of depression.

He reached for her hand and guided her another room with the green pool. She was somewhat eager to go in there to stop her head from thinking of what had transpired. Before she fully submerged herself, she heard the whisper, "I am sorry."

…….

A/N : wow writing a rape scene is cruel. Rape is not cool but luckily this is video game fan fiction so let's just go with the flow. Please forgive!!


	8. Jax

???????? NETHERREALM - QUAN CHI'S FORTRESS

 

Quan Rae coughed as she felt she was pulled out of the liquid and seated up against the side of small pool. She looked around and noticed no sign of the other revenants or Quan Chi. Only the face of Kuai Liang was in front of her kneeled down beside her. She was drowsy, her legs numb and she was confused for who knows how long she has been in submersion. As a revenant, Sub-Zero showed no signs of aging and for as long as she is in the pool and also quite dead herself, she would not either. She saw a collection of dust amongst the surfaces and the cobwebs in the room which is not a clear indicator. He simply stood there, he did not look as though he was commanded to escort her anywhere else. 

"What is it?" she tried to pull his arm but she was very weak from the awakening. He did not move or react. Then the memory flooded back to her of how they….consummated and she had been woken up by him a few times now out of the blue. She was emotionally wrapped up and struggled to bring her body and spirit up to speed. Why does he wake her up from her slumber? Is doing this to…see her? Or to tell her something. He hesitantly turns away from her. 

"I am tired of being awoken and then put back to bed," she looked to the side away from him as she said this. Sub -Zero immediately turned to face her as if he wanted to encourage her to continue. She caught a glimpse of his movement from the corner of the eyes.

Actually why is it Kremnine is put in the pool most of the time? Quan Chi could easily just put her in a prison cell to torture her endlessly….If he wanted her to break, he could have had her humiliated multiple times, as disturbing as the thought of it is, it did not even have to be Sub-Zero. Perhaps she still is capable of aging? The theories are irrelevant now, she just needs to escape.

"How many years have past?" she begged to know.

"Three years," the cryomancer flatly said.

She blinked a few times to register this. Three years?! "You periodically come to visit me…why today?"

"I failed a mission along with Scorpion today to stop the Special Forces team. Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage and Kenshi Takeshi still breathe."

Wow….that is it for Earthrealm's fighters? Kremnine is probably listed as MIA. Did he come here seeking comfort? Quan Chi did not take failure lightly. "Then earthrealm is not completely destroyed?"

"It will be inevitable, it is close…Soon the remaining warriors will perish."

"Including Raiden?"

"He will be brought justice for leaving us behind," Sub-Zero formed an ball of ice in his other hand and crushed it. He then grabbed her and dragged her back towards the pool.

"No wait, stop! Kuai!" Rae called out and then was submerged and asleep once more. 

……………

?????????? - NETHERREALM

Wow…how many times she has gone through this? Although each time Rae gets a little more info, it is hard to wake up and remember everything so far, this time she had enough. She was seated beside the blue clad revenant. 

As she finished coughing, she hits Sub-Zero in the arm and yelled, "If you are just going to wake me up for no good reason, you might as well not at all! Do you know how painful drowning is?!" 

No response. Great…the revenant version of him is such a smooth talker. She sighed, "What year is it?"

He tilted his head down and held her hand and brought it to his heart centre as if it was precious to him. If this revenant felt this way for her why did it take advantage of her?! 

"Two years have passed since the last time you asked me that," he admitted. Damn, his memory is good.

Kremnine is getting furious at the passing of time. This time, she just needs to distract him long enough to gain strength…as long as she can get outside somehow she can survive. Little did Sub-Zero understood she was performing the energy drain on him as he held her. 

"…Where are we in the Netherealm?"

"Quan Chi's fortress."

"It is a tower then? If we are outside, what will I find?" 

He gives her a nod, "Only death."

She has some idea of what to do next. She now felt little for the revenant and there is nothing here left for her.

She then forces as much of the spell she can onto him and he collapsed. Unfortunately the energy drained does not go to her specifically, but it would cause Quan Chi to need to restore the balance of his spells. She presses her hand to the stone walls and casts a light shockwave, one wall has to face the outside and she should be able to figure out which one by feeling the vibrations of the shockwave. 

Rae locates the right wall and blows a hole through it and then realized she is quite high in the towers so jumping is not an option. It would be riskier to go into the hallways though. However, she may be able to scale along the walls. She searches and takes all of Sub-Zero's daggers. She proceeded to climb down, on occasion she spots a window and takes a peek to understand her surroundings.

She climbed down to find a balcony and lands on it. She took another look downward and her surroundings. It did look quite bleak, she has no idea how to leave the Netherrealm. Quan Rae also never quite perfected or learned how to summon portals. Then she heard shuffling and the voices of Kabal and Stryker talking. 

"Kremnine has escaped," Stryker said. "She may be outside instead. She broke a hole through the walls. It seems Quan Chi needs her sleeping."

"I have my gear, I will scour the outside walls," Kabal responded.

Shit…she will have problems with Kabal's speed and he can probably scale walls faster than she can. Her time to escape may just be limited.

It is now or never. Rae creates a small portal to earthrealm. It was not stable enough for her to want to walk through but she can see the other side. She finally sees something she can use….a flock of birds flying through. She whispered a spell and hoped the message got to the Sky Temple. 

Now here is the part she was never sure…she looked below again and still could not see ground. What happens if she dies a demon from a jump? She can send a shockwave to the floor to slow the drop but she would not be able to maintain it forever. Well perhaps then she can hang off the walls with the daggers….yes this is an acceptable risk to her. 

Kremnine begins to lower herself down. She may have gotten down a good 15 floors until she started feeling tired firing the shockwave. She was about to use the daggers to create a rest point for herself when she felt a swoop of force and something dragging her away. The force hurt her head like hell and before collapsing, she could have only guessed it was Kabal scaling the walls like her.

…………….

???????????- NETHERREALM

Someone pulled her out of the water again. Rae began to cough and choke and was not expecting a voice none other than her captors.

"Kremnine, are you alright?" That voice….it belonged to Raiden asked. Thank the elder gods, he got the message. "I will get you out." 

She felt him picked up her and she was teleported away, the rest was blurry she remembered being settled down and in good hands. That was all that mattered.

………….

ASSUMED SEVERAL MONTHS LATER - SKY TEMPLE

"Get away from me!" Kuai Liang called out and woke abruptly for his sleep, shooting ice towards Rae who barely dodged the blast, it hit her drink which she dropped and it shattered to pieces when it landed on the stone tiles. 

"Ice caps?" She raised an eyebrow but noticing the man seemed trapped his in nightmare she then grabbed his forearm. "Be calm, Kuai. You are alive again."

He blinked a few times. It was good to see his normal eyes again. In fact she had never seen his real full face in that sense. 

"You….Rae….I…." He choked his words out, still in shock to be alive. "Please forgive me…"

"It…was not you…" she reached her hand down to hold his. "We are at the Sky Temple. That is all that matters." This reunion was hard for him: he had the memories of his revenant self, committing sins for the sorcerer and remembering how he forced Rae into slumber and forced her against her will.

"I did those horrible things…and to you," he whispered.

"You also gave me a fighting chance. Which I screwed up in the end and was caught, but we are here now," she gave a gentle laugh as she walked over to the sink and made a new cup of water for him. He looked intently at her face, how could she laugh so easily despite all that? He expected both of them to be broken souls. Should she still not be in some sort of trauma?

She gave the cup to him and they brushed hands in the exchange. She froze and eyes went wide. 

"I remember waking you up then…I wanted to be sure you were alright," he confessed softly. She froze in place locking eyes with him. It was strange to look at such a gentle face. A face that was not like that revenant that ruined her for other men. The nightmare is over she tells herself. But the memories were livid during the months she had those repetitive dreams of the Revenant.

Two weeks after she initially sent the message, Raiden and the Special Forces stormed the fortress. Raiden had managed to reverse the revenant spell and in doing so, this greatly weakened Quan Chi. Sub-Zero was comatose for months. Meanwhile, Rae was slowly reverted back to human form when Quan Chi could not maintain his spells. That was when she realized, Quan Chi couldn't kill her off, she just kept coming back somehow. There were several reasons she was in the pool, one she would eventually figure out she was not dead, and as a demon, her powers would grow and then the sorcerer couldn't have that either. She was full of rage at the moment with little to take it out on. 

Now she and Sub-Zero have to face the things that happened in the past 5 years. He finally woke up from his coma but was still in between rests.

"Raiden….told me to fetch him when you wake up…I will go for now……" Quan Raw headed to the doorway and then stopped and shyly face the hallway and said, "I missed you." 

As she stepped out she heard him softly say, "Not as much as I missed you."

…….

Days later, Raiden, Fujin and Master Bo Rai Cho tried to help the restored but Kuai Liang and Quan Rae both did not really spoke too much of what happened to themselves specifically. Rae had been avoided the cryomancer, when approached by him, she politely asked to be dismissed while still giving off a small smile. He was no fool, he knew she was avoiding him especially when she was willing to talk with Jax and even the man who was once Scorpion. He himself can only talk to Jax; Hanzo Hasashi refused to be in the same room as him.

He was looking for her, he understood,…she had every right to not want to ever see him again but to him he still wanted to go back to where they were heading 5 years ago. He was upset Rae was not there with him during his therapy especially when he was overcoming his desire to commit hara-kiri. He heard from the others she was not sleeping well and would not be found in her room much. He ached to reach out to her.

…………

KITCHEN AREA

"I need to get out of here," Jax told Kremnine as he grabbed a coffee.

"We are not ready to be out there yet…though…No one can stop us if we did," Rae lamented as she prepared tea. "I should go back to the Tengu, they may have replaced me with another Kremnine. I will seriously punch Wu Lae in the face if he did."

"I mean I am done. Done fighting against demons and shit. Hell…..I can't even look at ya and think of what was done to me those years. I hated it." 

"I am not my father," she narrowed her brows.

"No ya're not, what kind of father makes his daughter to….to…Fuck…I am sorry."

She turns around to not face him. Although the second crossed her head on 'oh that is how I say the word, fuck.' Actually ugh she still did not like the context of how he used the word just now.

"You still avoiding ice cube like the plague?"

"Are you done?" She pointed at the milk carton held by the metal hands.

"At times, I don't get y'all ladies. You were there everyday in his room wanting him to wake up, now you get your wish and ya stay several feet away from him. You both care about each other. Ya'll have each other for support. Shouldn't have to walk away from that. Me? I got no one. Hell, Sonya does not really understand this shit….and she got caged if ya know what I mean. She is getting hitched in a few weeks time before it starts showing. Pretty soon, she won't have no time for former C.O. Briggs."

"What will you do?" She inquired. 

"You start by talking to that ice cube---"

"I 'meant' what would you do for being done fighting."

"First, I'd retire from military and grow some fucking hair …My folks had a farm, I grew up there, I know the harvest inside out. Settle then I hope one day, meet a nice lady, live a normal live that I never had."

"We are all not meant for the normal life and there is still a threat. You are literally the strongest man on earth. What will you be lifting if retired…Cows and John Deeres?" 

"Ha…ha…ha…smartass….I will sure miss the way you talk. Can never tell if you sounded concerned or if you're joking. Earthrealm's got some good fighters back now. They don't need me."

"I can heal your arms as a farewell gift but you will lose the ability to pick up cows."

"No, you keep that hocus pocus to yourself. You told me already what you have to do in order to make it work," he waved dismissively and passed her the milk. "Now your turn, tell me what you're planning. You have helped and talked to Scorpion, or whatever Hasashi, yet ya don’t try to help Kuai Liang?"

"Hanzo, I believe," she filled in for Jax as she added milk to her drink. "I help him because he no one else can get near him then can unburn themselves or unhurt themselves. Kind of an angry fellow, if you ask me. I cannot reason with him lately as he simply wants to break things."

"Don't spend too much time with him, don't want him getting confused with your interaction," he advised.

"I am not sure I follow."

"If he is like any typical man coming out of trauma, it is easy for some rebound, you may not plan that but don't want to hit 'wife replacement zone' with him," he explained giving air quotes.

Rae choked on the sip of tea she just had, "I am unimpressed hahaha…but I hear you."

"You're still avoiding the topic…." Jax raised his brow, "You and ice cube deserve to be happy. You can't avoid him forever. Didn't you technically get married to him?"

"Technically is a understatement…." Rae looked to the side, stirring the cup in hand but faced her large friend. "5 years of mental damaged was inflicted to you and him but I only registered days between those years. In those few days that I was awake, I understand…but I cannot forgive.…and…."

"What is it you're so afraid of?"

"That….A sense of responsibility is all that remains between us. Our bond had genuine intentions at first but that was before."

"Doesn't matter, you both live once," he placed his hand on her shoulder and she pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyebrows at him. "Besides, you're shedding weight, didn't even think it was possible. Pretty soon, even the wind would blow ya away. Come on, let's grab a last bite to eat."

"You will write to me every now and then?" She formed a small smile as she backed up, grabbed two breakfast buns from a basket on the counter and tossed one back at him.

"SMS, yeah sure. Not that snail mail bullshit, I can't write chicken scratch."

"I know what a mobile phone is, thank you," she turned and headed out. "I am eating by myself so that this is not goodbye…and for the record, you will not be alone. It is my opinion that mission support staff named Vera is very interested in you."

Jax snorted at Rae and waved her off dismissively. A moment later, Jax stepped a few steps in another direction and faced a figured who was simply leaning in the back of the hall in the shadows. 

"You caught all that?" Jax asked. Kuai Liang appeared into the room. "Girl's just troubled, is all. You're still her knight in shining blue armour."

Kuai Liang grunted and walked past Jax. It was rather a nuisance the soon to retire Special Forces officer was probing into their business. Although he himself was not a great communicator and probably would have not got that out of her.

He wandered the halls looking for her and how strange it was to realize, they never truly got to know each other in terms of seeing each other talk of hobbies not that he himself really had any except for making ice sculptures. He know she was a life long learner and in fact that night in the church, she was looking specifically for a quiet study room. He thinks he knows where she could be.


	9. Kuai Liang (mature content)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: thanks for continuing to read this fic guys. I have not seen written feedback but I assume no news is good news. If this is garbage, I should at least know that it is so I can improve or kill a story.

SKY TEMPLE EARLY MORTAL KOMBAT COMICS BRACKET

 

The cryomancer found the Tengu asleep in the library sitting on the desk with her cheek pressed against the books with the half eaten bun and half drank tea. He chuckled to himself a little at this sight, an emotion that felt foreign to him when he devoid of it for 5 years. 

Rae woke up from the sound and rubbed her eyes. She instantly was frightened to see his face. She turned and realized she was facing a wall and the exit was the other way.  
She turns back to him almost pretending she did not just do that.

He sat down in the chair beside her and she instantly placed her hands in her lap. He took a deep breath, "Our lives are too short to not try to start over." This is definitely true comparing the lifespan of other races such as Edenians. "To let a nightmare decide who we become…is pitiful."

"Do you…think we should have that right of starting over?" She asked with guilt.

"I must try, I have to atone, and I do not give up so easily you will find."

She gave a small smile and then relaxed a little. "Eh hem…It is nice to see how you really look like….and smell," she reflected on how he once smelled of metal and oil, followed ….by smelling like death. Now he has a very fresh smell of snow and spring.

"I much thought the same," he admitted. He did not pay attention to her scent when they first met. His determination of salvaging his brother's honour being his first priority at the time and the Tengu and him did not necessarily get along at first. He lost his sense of smell as a cyborg and in her pseudo demon form, she smelled of inferno. It was nice to have the scent of forest flower fill his lungs.

She scratched her jawline giving a moment of silence. It was nice to see him feel better too and less concerned about hara-kiri being the solution. She turned to face him and an imprint of the words from the book appeared on the cheek she sleep on. 

She hesitated, "I cannot pretend 'that' did not happen. You understand do you not? At the end, I was willing to sacrifice you so that I could leave."

He looked straight at her eyes. When she meant she understand but could not forgive, he understood now she meant at herself. Even though his actions as a revenant also were not forgivable. "I would have begged you to finish me had I a voice of my control," he was tempted to reach for her hand or brush the inked text her face but the last few interactions indicated she was not ready.

She took a breath and sighed and looked down, "I fell right into that sorcerer's little game. I lost when I stopped fighting."

"You give yourself far too little credit. Whilst in your slumber, you brought Quan Chi frustration as he cannot turn you into a revenant unless dead. He tried a multitude of ways killing you while you were in the suspension fluid. I was conscious the time; it was the hideous watching as you were shredded into bits and pieces, having all your organs removed or eaten alive by oni. Yet somehow you would spring back to life and in a complete body right in front of my eyes," Kuai Liang lamented. 

At this point, Quan Rae's jaw is dropped. The Cryomancer could not stop now at this point, he continued, "You are an end goal which Quan Chi wanted to become. He pursued this for the first year, then eventually stopped with the occasional test after consulting his trusted associates of new methods. Without Shang Tsung, Quan Chi did not know another skilled researcher. He had believed you subconsciously existed on another plane and was able to make decisions on how to return to life."

Rae blinked a few times registering this fact, "I would not kill myself out of deliberation…I did not know my regenerative ability was so…extreme. Had I known, I would have tossed myself off the tower when I was trying to escape."

Jax and Hanzo had mentioned to her that Quan Chi tried to kill her a few times but she did not know specifics. Clearly, Kuai Liang was present much of the time during the occurrences. She was unclear before why she was awoken during her slumber either completely exhausted and unresponsive and then times she woke up with some energy. And sometimes fully clothed and sometimes not. 

"You could have fight it off, but that would not be the woman I...have…grown fond of. She told me there was an art to when is it time to fight," Kuai Liang finished and reached for her hand regardless. 

The feeling of a calloused hand touching her own…Rae fought with all her willpower to keep herself still and in place, telling herself she can trust him and there is truth to what Jax had advised her. Then she heard Kuai Liang say, "You have eyes, but will not see." She did not even realized she had them shut tight, upon opening them he kissed her just under the side of her lips like the first time she kissed him. 

She took a deep breath, let it out, softened her eyes and replied. "My eyes are open, let us continue conversation."

They spend the free time of the day together trying to get to know one another, a much delayed courtship that was experienced as best as they can while being patients in care at the Sky Temple. 

When night fall came, Kuai Liang knocked on the door of her quarters and she answered. 

"Is it not late?" Rae asked and tilted her head unsure of his intent.

"It is the last of our days here, I have no where to go after specifically but agree to do all I can to protect earthrealm. Should you leave and return to the Tengu…I..I…….." 

"Come in, first," she moved aside so they may continue their discussion behind closed doors. He entered the room to keep the halls quiet and closed the doors behind him.

Rae continued, "I have kept communication with my clan, in the past few years they had supported Raiden's cause. When I made contact, the new Kremnine was revoked of title. Although, I was willing to offer to quit," she scratched her jawline. 

"…I set foot first thing tomorrow to find the Lin Kuei," there he said it, before he found it difficult to tear away.

She looked at Sub-Zero with burrowed eyebrows. He used a tone implying he has to find this truth alone. She knew they both at some point have to keep going forward and this is all he knows, just fighting. She however, can bring him to the Tengu if that is what he wanted but she can go anywhere as a healer even if she stopped fighting.

"If you find them….and could not find any human supporters. Ask for me and I will look to help you right away," Kremnine looked to the side then back at his eyes, her hand is on the back of her neck. 

"When I am ready,I would be honoured to have you at my side," he bowed slightly but then perked back up realizing his statement did have double meanings. "I meant to fight."

"It is alright, I think I understand," she smiled slightly. "How about you join me here then….As in to chat." She scrunched as well as her statement had also the same double meanings while gesturing towards the small table and chairs.

They chatted lightly at the small table with chairs that was in the room until she started drooping her head. He chuckled and pulled her up directing her to her bed. She laid down and he then he seemed to have joined her at the side which makes her panic the slightest.

"You…I do not f-feel we s-houl--" she stuttered.

"Hush, it is alright, we can just do this," he wrapped his arm around her and rested his head on her shoulder as they slept.

 

……

DAYBREAK 

The sun beamed into Kremnine's eyes and she fluttered them open. She turned around and noticed Kuai Liang was gone. She slowly turned her body to place her hands on the empty side of the bed and it was room temperature. He may have left some time ago. Looking up to the end table on that side of the bed she blinked again before registering a cylinder vase with a spray of orchids, on the second blink she realized it was all made of ice. She smiled looking at the way the light of the sun bounced off of the ice sculpture but at the same time, it confirmed to her that their feelings for each other had not changed. 

 

…….

DAYS LATER, MORTAL KOMBAT X COMIC BRACKET

Kremnine met up with Sub-Zero several days later though she was a little surprised as where he had specified the meeting spot was. They were at a tavern and in a very rural village. He looked rough. She ordered a drink for him and then sat down beside him. He proceeded to tell her how he found traces of his clan, he hoped to start a rebellion but the grandmaster was already murdered and to say that Sektor assumed title was putting it lightly. There were signs of fighting and struggles in the temples; human ashes were everywhere along with some destroyed cyborgs.

He tried signalling at certain sites hoping someone alive will respond to his heed, no one…not a single time he tried. He may just be the last human Lin Kuei, afterall, the cyborgs were in operation for the past 5 years, and had a whooping head start turning all Lin Kuei into the remorseless killing machines envisioned.

She herself did well. She helped when asked by Raiden and when she completed the few short missions, she went home. It was strange that the Tengu who did not lose their lives during the earthrealm invasion became older when she reconnected with them. Even more odd of a feeling knowing friends she had known had married one another during the timespan. Something that she wondered if her so called marriage even counted as legit.

She had the time she needed to heal herself spiritually after that particular event. She wanted to give the only true Lin Kuei purpose so she reached for his hand and held it in hers and told him what her current assignment is and how she could use an extra help to locate the unaccounted Kamidogu dagger. 

……….

EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER - MORTAL KOMBAT X COMIC BRACKET

The lone Tengu and Lin Kuei embarked together in pursuit of the latest kamidogu lead for weeks but it was now in the hands of the Red Dragon clan. As they were travelling near Linxia, China. They setup a perimeter to call their search a day. 

"That is certainly easier," Kuai Liang commented as Rae finally started being able to summon small bits of hellfire for the camp. He sat next to her on a log next to their sleeping bags laid out already on the ground.

"As opposed to the times you spend trying to make fire with your cold, icy hands?" She gave a soft laugh and reflected back on earlier months when she got to know Hanzo Hasashi, the man struggled to separate himself from his Scorpion persona. He finally controlled his hellfire and had unintentionally shown her how to replicate it in small doses, the man was not impressed needless to say. 

"You picked a good spot," she finished and backed up to a seated position as the camp fire took form.

The Tengu and Lin Kuei duo were up by a forested area with a cliff and out of sight but they can see the small county of Linxia from here. They already narrowed down the Red Dragon Temple is near the county. Their target was not here and they were planning to extend search to the other side tomorrow. 

"At the least, we away from the Sky Temple, for that I am pleased," he admitted as they frequently had to report back to exchange intel.

"I appreciate not having the thunder God or the wind God in my face inquiring about my well being," she softly laughed.

"We should not mention those keywords haphazardly, lest they appear before us," he chuckled.

"Hahaha! I would not want them interrupting this moment," she said looking lightly at the campfire.

"I would not want them interrupting this," He moves in front of her and gives her a kiss on the lips. He reached over and placed his hand behind her head, touching the soft locks. 

She climbs into his lap timidly not breaking the kiss but with tensed shoulders and while her hands where on his chest, she also clenched them in fists. When she seated herself comfortably, she relaxed a bit more felting his other hand wrap around her waist bringing their bodies flush. 

He was no fool, he still sees she struggles initially during any of their love making. When they finally became more romantically involved, it took them both months to get past the trauma from the times they were in Quan Chi's fortress. The Lin Kuei and the Tengu pairing finally got to the point where they can start appreciating intimacy like normal people.

Her hands shook the slightest as they dive into his back where his skin was exposed. The country was warm at this time of the year and he did not wear his black under armour. She herself wore a very light halter top black and orange garb with shoulders, hips and thighs exposed.

He slipped his tongue past her lips to mingle with her tongue. There was a very slow and gentle dance with the tongues as they lapped against each other. As they pulled apart, a small trail of saliva connected their brief gap. She forms a tiny smile as she brushed it away with her hand embarrassed followed right after by him grabbing her hand, giving the back of the palm a kiss and bringing it to rest on his heart. The hand he kept behind her head, he brought to her heart as well. Feeling each other's beating hearts reminds they are alive, breathing beings and most importantly free.

A moment after, he slid his hand to cup breast with the thumb pressed against the nipple and she pulled her hand from his head to cover her lips in a smile. "I knew where that hand was going."

He used his hand and pulled her hand away from her lips and guided it to be on his neck. He leans in to kiss along her jawline. His hands loosening her top attire in a rather hungry state. The top ended connected to her thigh high boots, he disconnected the hinges and left her her core body bare. He leans his head kissing and sucking any newly exposed flesh. She keeps her eyes on him as though she reminding herself this is where she was supposed to be with him and if she closed her eyes her mind may trigger into the wrong memory in the past.

She returns the ferocity of removing his pants but left his chest armour mostly intact. She pushes him down on the ground to the sleeping bag and climbs on top. Her lips trail along his neck to shoulder line which she learned he was ticklish in those areas. She continued down and sucked lightly on his skin, hands grazing over his chest hair. His hand started reaching for her upper arm was urging her back up. She responds by placing both her forearms to either side besides his neck. He pulls her up even more, wrapping arms around her upper back and pushing her down so that her breasts were to be sucked by his hungry mouth.

She kissed his forehead and dug her hands into his hair, making small moans and breath uneven. When he loosened his grip, he reached for her thighs and pulled her up until she was kneeling upright with her legs between his lips. One of his hands cup her buttocks and he brought her down so he can taste her. 

Her face became red and she felt vulnerable being able to see a county below her. How odd it would be if someone can actually see them. At this point with all they had been through, she could care less. She made soft moans and had troubles keeping still feeling the softness of tongue probing again and again followed by light sucking. 

He stopped and pulled her back down to intertwine hands. She backed up and seated herself between his legs preparing for a special treat for him. Kuai Liang very quickly grew red in the face as he had sought this interaction for a little while now. 

She bit her lips slightly and placed herself comfortable followed by licking and putting the member into her mouth with her hand to guide the motions. She licked a few times and stared at the flesh surprised at how it flayed in the air. He threw his head back gasping and eyes closed. When he looked down timidly he sees her looking back into his eyes as she became comfortable with her actions. She stroked and sucked the sensitive flesh and he bucked several times. 

Rae's movements were slow and her other hand slipped into her mouth to moisten and then moved to cup the balls. A finger reached to lightly brush against the space between his sexual organ to his opening, trying to locate a sensitive spot. When she pinpointed it while still coordinating efforts with her mouth and other hand; he moaned loudly.

He debated whether he just take her as is but he also reminded himself to be gentle to with her, though it felt as though he was sexually torturing himself. He thrusted lightly back against her mouth and she made a surprised sound and sucked the tip whenever he retracted.

She backed up and proceeded to lick the balls while her hand did the stroking. He began to thrash his head, at this rate he was surely going to explode. The saliva she used to moisten her hand was eventually drying out so she brought her mouth back to cover his privates, imitating a thrusting motion. 

He dug his hands into her hair which was gathered in a mid low ponytail. He could not take it much more with her eventual increasing pace and mixing between her hand, mouth and tongue. 

"Ahh…I am close, are you ready?" Kuai Liang asked breathily. 

Rae gave a smile and slightest of nod as she continued a little more concise, a little tighter. Just a little more…and he resorted to twisting and giving unrestricted moans and cries as he shot into her mouth. When he was finished, she crawled back up to him, opened her mouth slightly to give him a viewing of the fluid in the caverns. She then closed her mouth and swallowed. 

"If my life is forfeit now, I would be a content man," he whispered.

"You better not," she tilted her head and sucked on the ticklish spot of his neck making the larger man chuckle. 

"You are eager; give me a moment," he huskily whispered to her ear pulling her into a hug. 

"Does not Round 2 happen immediately?" She smiled mischievously at him.

"Yes…Round 2 will start shortly," he smiled back.

………………..


	10. Raiden (mature content)

A/N: I got some of my first reviews thank you so much for the positive reviews! Just want to say they mean a lot of me as I spent a lot of time initially writing content followed by lots of proofreading and still failing.

If you have not read the comics, Raiden sends Sub-Zero to locate the Kamidogu but he is moron when it comes to traps and gets pwned by Kano who not only scars subby's precious face but the dagger possesses him through most of the comic.   
…………..

EARLY MORTAL KOMBAT BRACKET - NEAR LINXIA, CHINA

 

After a brief rest, the Tengu and Lin Kuei duo were looking at the stars side by side under their own sleeping bags. 

"Admittedly, if this search is empty as before, we need Raiden to better strategize when he sends us out. After, I am heading to our abode to get real rest," she murmured. Though she is not at home, she was in bliss to say the least now that they lived together not far from the Tengu Outpost. 

It was not easy to get to where they are now. Sub-Zero was the last of the human Lin Kuei and did not want to give up his own identity and become Tengu. The Tengu themselves had troubles accepting those who refuse to become a part of the clan. Master Wu Lae considered the concept of using marriage as a peaceful bond of Tengu and Lin Kuei but Sub-Zero was no grandmaster or of Lin Kuei rank. Now, the 'Lin Kuei' were the cyborgs, they were the enemies of humanity.

This impasse did initially put her in a difficult position and she did not want to put an ultimatum on him. Being the Kremnine of the clan and the healer, she was obligated to the Tengu, but, she also did not want to be parted from Kuai Liang. This current arrangement, though had its own challenges, did worked out for the best in the end; she still held title but spend much of the time away from the outpost, only providing healing to visiting fellow clan members.

"And I for the reason that I pummel you on the table from behind…putting that in there, pushing you hard against the surface." He huskily said as he propped up on his side resting against his elbow and his other arm now softly rubbing the skin around her lower abdomen.

"You boast much at how you can pick up bedroom talk and I cannot," she expressed with her eyes half lidded, looking at him suspiciously without turning her head. 

Kuai Liang moved closer and invaded her space and covered her lips with his own, the hand that was on her stomach moved down to hold his growing arousal and rubbing the length against her thigh and stomach. 

As their lips separated, she threw in the additional comment, "And you tease." 

Kuai Liang stroked himself lightly while giving her a half lidded look with eyes parted. Rae swore her heart rate doubled at that sight. Her own hand reach down and stroked her own lower regions. 

He partly sat up so that he can move closer towards to the end of the sleeping bag and reached for her hand, placing it on her thigh. The thigh was lifted allowing to bend in the air and her hand kept it in place. She propped up slightly on her other elbow and forearm into a partial side plank as she able to predict the position he was preparing her for.

He leaned back down as he held his member with his now free hand tapping it against her lower regions before lightly grinding against her as his member rubbed along the front of her pubic bone to showcase its length of how far it would burrow into her body. He enjoyed seeing that array of faces she so oft makes beforehand, ranging from surprised to shy, then anticipating and finally to a hungry, impatient state in seconds. He aligns his arousal into place with his other hand and makes his entrance. Their breaths ragged from the intrusion and as he slides into the depths.

He begins to thrust into her and his free hand now snakes around cupping her lower abdomen as the fingers stroke to elevate her pleasure. Her eyes partly closed and her mouth became partly opened as she felt his lips cool against her cheek then it moved to the nape of her neck and to the back of her shoulder. He lies down on his side to free up the the arm he is using to hold his weight, places his hand to cover her neck lightly.

He was not in as deep as he would like in this position so he eventually abandons it and lies down pulling and spinning her around so that she now faces him.

"Can I?" She piques and he gives a grinning nod. 

She positions herself as needed, kneeling with him between her legs, she guides his arousal to align to her opening and lowers her body down, slowly adjusting herself to the length. She began rocking back and forth slowly and sinking until she hit the bottom. The cryomancer gave a moan at that point and she bit her lip feeling as if she was split. 

"Are you alright?" Kuai Liang asked although he meant to refer to her mental condition. 

Rae nodded, "I do want you."

She re-adjusted her position until she was comfortable and was slow to move along the length. He arched his head back and his hand reached up her thighs and moved to cup the rear, the other hand on her waist to guide her motions. As she gets into the right rhythm. His eyes darting to scan at their connected bodies, breath ragged from the pulsations she gave him. Her hands glides on his chest armour as she unbuckles the front. She dove her hands in to rest on his chest. He reaches to cup her hand and held it dearly.

"Hold still," he spoke while she was still in the air and he gripped her hips and thrusted with force. She moaned as she placed her hands on his shoulders, back arched backwards, feeling her body bounce. When he slowed down she leaned her head down and kissed him on the forehead. As she pulled back her head, he arched his body and latch his lips to her neck. She rocked back and forth slightly and dug her hand in his hair to support his head. 

They rolled over reversing their positions. He immediately peels off his chest armour and tosses it aside. By now she wrapped her legs around his waist and he resumes back to intercourse. His hands on her hips were the guide of the thrusts while hers wrapped around his neck. The moaning between the two partners drowned out the sounds of the forest around them. He rapidly became urgent for release, the slow gentle motions disappearing. She held his arm for a moment to slow him down and then moved off and guide him to sit on the tree log they previously sat on. She then seated herself on his thighs, allowing her legs rest behind him. She slid the member back where it belonged and rolled her hips back and forth once again taking control. He bucked his hips whenever she was in forward position to meet and intensify each thrust.

He, at intervals, hugged on to her tightly, breathing ragged and moaning loudly but then as he neared his finishing line, he pulled himself out and aimed right into her stomach as he buried his head into her collar bone and spilt seed. He took several gasps and shuddered, making her squirmish as well as she felt the liquid ooze down her body.

Rae moved slowly back to the sleeping bag and off the log. "Ah…the fabric is wet…" she said as she scrunched her face, feeling stickiness of their love making below where she is sitting.

"I believe that is your sleeping bag," Kuai Liang mused.

"What do you imply? That we should bring three? Two to sleep in and one to engage in private activities?" She hit him lightly on the thigh and laughed. 

"Three is excessive. I suppose I would let you join me in mine," he gave a smug look and he slid off the log and moved towards his own sleeping bag as if to claim it.

"Absolutely not, next time, we destroy yours and then you can share with mine if you are a good boy."

He chucked and moved into his bag, pulling at her arm to join him. He then looked quite serious as he made his declaration, "When we retrieve the dagger and bring it back to the Sky Temple, we should discuss our future."

"As in…?"

"It would please me that our relationship extends to a proper marriage," he tilted his head slightly, his eyes darted to the side timidly before looking at her with confidence that she would agree. It was about time to move in that direction, he had just entered his thirties and her in the mid to late 20's. He remembered how they interacted when they first met, both rude and prideful; he felt she was unrefined for being the pride of the Tengu. 

It was during the invasion that he took notice of her as a cyborg. She seemed so…genuine to him. In comparison, Jade and Kitana stood out as exotic, royale and had a embodiment of perfection about them, certainly drawing the attention of Tomas and Liu Kang. Kuai Liang found himself not so drawn to the Edenian comrades as he discovered how flawed and how messed up everything around him is. After finally spending much of his time travelling with Quan Rae, he knew he would lead here to officially ask for her hand.

Her eyes immediately dart to the side and lips parted into a partial smile as an unprepared response to his abrupt statement. "I look forward to that," she smiled and kissed him on the forehead. 

The cryomancer and Tengu helped each other in their clothing and then proceeded to rest in the single clean sleeping bag.

During their sleep in the middle of the night, it would appear a man managed to locate them but did not approach them. "Ah they are lovers…sure got good taste there mate," Kano smirked from afar. "Can't say I like being the man who tears love birds apart."

………

THE NEXT DAY

It made sense for the Tengu and the Lin Kuei to separately attack and search the two main opposite wings of the Red Dragon Temple. Kremnine's search was empty handed, but she knew she was followed and turned to face Tasia and Jarek. Over time as she had travelled with Kuai Liang, they had exchanged tactics and tutored each other. She had began to push her healing abilities to the full potential. She regenerates at an alarming rate and wins fights overtime by strategically exhausting opponents.

While the two black dragon lackeys did her damage, cutting off her arm or stabbing in her stomach, a new arm sprung right back and her body healed without signs of her wounds. As the fight progressed longer than a typical fight, she dispatched both who opt to flee due their accumulated wounds. During the fight, she exchanged small talk with her assailants who confirmed that the Kamidogu was located on the other wing. She knew the cyromancer would find it so when she finished her part; she waited for Sub-Zero at the rendezvous point but he never appeared. Worried, she traced him track and found destruction everywhere but where did he go?

She then found Kano on floor but seated against the wall still unconscious.   
She tied him up and healed a slight part of him just enough for him to gain consciousness.

"Allo Kremesicle," Kano slowly coughed up as he awoke and saw her in her Kremnine mask. He felt odd and out of place having a consciousness but an unresponsive body, his eyes darted around catching his surrounding. "Wait, you're by yourself aren't ya, that only makes you Kreme puff then. Aren't you a lovely sight to wake up to." 

"Where is Sub-Zero?" she asked the obvious.

"Your little man toy is gone by now, baby. He ain't waiting around for you. He has the kamidogu and is taking it out for a joy ride. Was going to take it from him."

She slapped the man, "Speak sense."

"You should feel lucky I picked him instead of you, with him out of the picture, you need a real man. I could show you a little bit of fun…" The cutthroat man explained while giving a very sensual smile. Rae had to process the bits and piece fed to her together as she was not used to talking to anyone like Kano and he still did not entirely answer her question and gave her more long winded nonsense.

"Are you not feeling threatened?" She asked as she folded her arms.

"If you were Mileena, yeah…but you didn’t make it that far in the Mortal Kombat tournaments for me to worry. Plus, I hear you are a hidden gem, don't look much like the threatening type," he winked at her fearlessly and without consideration he is currently a prisoner.

"The thing about being a threat is that you can be successful by not showcasing how frightening you can become…I will give you two options: one, you tell me what brings you here and I will leave you as you were, later gifting you a thesaurus to expand your vocabulary. Everything seems 'little' to you, it must be that you are very little down below," her patience is thinning out with this man. When it comes to the safety of Kuai Liang, she is not that kind hearted good guy within that dark moment.

Kremnine grabbed the infamous knife of Kano's that was previously dropped on the floor from his rough in with Sub Zero. She slashed both the older man's thighs deep in two places. The man grunted in pain but the sound was not satisfying enough.

"You know I am a healer; I can make you heal as this, forfeit pain…" she paused mid speech during her first example and healed that slash completely without scar tissue. "Or….as your second option, permanently as so." In the second example, Rae allowed the wound to cease bleeding and dry out with new layer of scar tissue forming along the cut but the cut remained a deep indented and abnormal gash on his leg. He cried out in pain again as the healing felt as though someone stuck their finger into the deep hole of his thigh and dragged along the cut. While the spot was technically healed, the pain continued to pulse as though if it was fresh.

She then abruptly stabbed the knife into the floor, barely a millimetre away from the semi-cybernetic man's member making him sweat bullets. She finished her threat with an emotionless and stern look, "Sub-Zero was always very good at forming flowers out of ice, I prefer carving instead. Time for you to choose."

……

WEEKS LATER - SKY TEMPLE

While Kano did tell her all he knew, the man clearly does not ask enough questions before accepting jobs. He was meant to kill Sub-Zero which would have freed the curse of the Kamidogu. Now there is no clarity on what happens when Kano fails. There was no sign of Kuai Liang anywhere. She demanded an explanation from Raiden when she reached the Sky Temple.

"That dagger, Kano told me it is cursed. Is it true? You asked Sub-Zero and I to pursue something we could have accidentally unleashed ourselves?!" She angrily asked. 

"The Kamidogu originally did not serve that purpose. It is due to the change of timelines. They originally were spread out across the realms but found by one earthrealm warrior who used it for the wrong means," Raiden admitted.

It was not in her personality to stay mad at the god indefinitely. She took a breath and then begin to sound somewhat desperate for a direction or answer, "I care little about what is different from that alternative world, at this present, I must find Sub-Zero. Where is he?"

"I do not know, I am sorry. This was not what I intended," the thunder God shamefully turned his head away further frustrating Kremnine. She pretty much translated that to 'you are on your own on this one' and turned around proceeding to leave. 

"I have shards of memories from the original timeline when it once flashed before my eyes during the first tournament. I know what Kuai Liang means to you now but in that original timeline, you two were never together," Raiden then stated remorsefully as if the world could have been worse for her.

Kremnine turned to glare at him. Much as anyone who in love: that is the last thing they would ever want to hear. 

The immortal continued, "Sub Zero originally was never turned into a cyborg, he spent much of his time fleeing from Sektor, Cyrax and Smoke in their cybernetic forms. Meanwhile, I was assembling the defenders of earth and the Tengu offered a squad led by you. I had made a mistake sending you early on in my desperation to fight against the invasion by Outworld. You and your squad all perished at Quan Chi and Shang Tsung's hands. At that end, you grew Shang Tsung's power when he absorbed your soul." 

"You are treading on some mighty thin ice here…Do not talk to me again unless you can provide a lead to Kuai Liang," she hissed and left the temple. She was not sure if she should be angry or tear up…Well she is actually doing both, annoyed that she is supposed to be grateful with any negative outcome that befalls this timeline since it was apparently a major improvement of the previous. Her heart was shattered and she would have exchanged the feeling for any of the fatalities she had ever experienced. 

…………….

A/N: And with that I have broken all your hearts again! *cries*


	11. Scorpion

A/N: For those of you who do not read the comics, Hanzo starts a second Shirai Ryu and also has a Kamidogu. All the students were slaughtered by one who got possessed by Havok, except Takeda. Hanzo then gets pissed at Raiden who reveals he was also possessed so he got the shit beaten out of him. When he comes to senses, he asks Hanzo to find the missing Sub-Zero.

………….

2 YEARS LATER - KREMNINE'S HOME, FORMERLY SHARED WITH KUAI LIANG

During the passing of years, Kremnine either was out searching for the man she had fallen for in the various realms. When she was back at earth she did stay with the Tengu until it became a nuisance for her when she hit the age where women would be actively pursued for marriage. She told Wu Lae that Sub-Zero has gone missing but Wu Lae assumed it was her creative way to say the pair had ended badly. 

One night in her home at the middle of the night when she was asleep, the main door flung open, she was a little shocked as there were specific business hours for her clinic and she was sure she had locked the door for the night. She cautiously approached the door and saw a bloodied trail, when she followed the end of the trail, she could not believe her eyes seeing the cyromancer on the sick bed.

She rushed to him and instinctively examined his body for wounds and they were abundant. "Kuai? Kuai?!"

"I…..have been on the run….from the Lin Kuei and the Red Dragon, I retrieved the Kamidogu," he coughed before slower reaching his bloodied hand up and stroked her cheek. "I missed you much…"

"Hmm…I am not sure if I should be pleased that you found that scrap metal at all," Rae murmured, giving his hand a kiss, forgetting that instant that he may still be cursed and proceeded to heal his body. When she was done to the point that his body was in stable condition, she got a little needy, pulled off the mask on his face and leaned in to kiss his lips. Then she took notice of a large scar over his eye though something else was setting off flags to her.

"Water…" He croaked. Being the healer she is, she spun around and quickly headed to the kitchen to tend to his needs.

When she returned with the glass of water in hand, he was not on the bed. She called out several times an ran to the main door and realized he left. Crushing the cup in her hand, now bloodied, she grabbed her hood and proceeded after, she noted the patterns he ran and she knew the shortcuts. Soon she ran down a path and was right in front of him. He had his mask on and it was him, but a very unfamiliar, chaotic aura surrounded him. He brought his fist up and crushed the ice, ready for a fight.

It was then she realized the cyromancer is still cursed. She dodged an ice decoy of him and she debated what to do. Should she hurt him enough to keep him at bay? What does she even have to keep him locked up? As they exchanged blows as she kept crying out, "Stop! Kuai! Stop!! What are you doing?!"

He found a single opening and formed a Kori blade and stabbed into her abdomen and used his ice slide to slam her into the thick tree, the pointy hilt of the blade dug into her stomach. She screamed and reached to break the ice weapon but he created ice daggers and proceed to stab her arms and hands and keep her pinned to the tree. Her head drooped down as blood poured out of her mouth and avoiding to choke on her own blood as she coughed. She can't heal like this.

He turned and walked away a few steps and then started dashing into the dark. When Rae had the chance, she forced shockwaves through her palms breaking the daggers that dug through her metacarpals. Though that healed instantaneously and she was able to break off the other impaled Kori blade on her body, anger and self blamed washed over. Why did she not pay attention to his aura? Did the corrupt soul who possessed the cyromancer use her to get healed? The only answer she got was the sound of her own sobs periodically across that night. 

………

YEARS LATER

There were no further visits from Kuai Liang in those years. What she did not know was she not the host Havok would ever want so the more she pursued Sub-Zero, somehow she understood the further away he became from her. However the actions of Sub-Zero were loud. Loud enough she would be able to find the sites he was previously at, seeing nothing but ice and Lin Kuei cyborgs as he seemed to have drawn their attention. There was an ominous presence around the sites; it did not belong to Sub-Zero but something more sinister that she had troubles identifying.

Though at the end of the those trailing years, she did forgive the Thunder God but their relationship now always had a strain to it. She made a mistake, she healed Sub-Zero while he possessed the Kamidogu, prolonging his service to the blood code. Now she is part of the guilty party and kept the secret as well.

It would not be until she was returning back to the Sky Temple to report on a mission that took several months to complete that she found Hanzo Hasashi accompanied with a young boy at the same location that her fortunes turned. 

"You still look pissed off," Rae said as she approached them. Young Takeda looked at her in awe and was surprised at his grandmaster, Hanzo who scoffed off her remarks.

"You have not aged much," Hanzo said to her. "Yet things are not so different."

"I suppose being stuck in a suspension pool has its side effects, my aging has slowed….I had been away for months from the Sky Temple….What happened to Raiden?"

"Possessed by the cursed Kamidogu blades," he tilted his head in direction of where he left the Thunder God. He was still in fury he lost the second upbringing of the Shirai Ryu and Raiden himself could not keep the curse under control. 

"You….you are serious? I was in search of one years ago with Sub-Zero. We were close…So close but…he took off and I have been searching for him since."

"You put too much faith in Kuai Liang," Hanzo scoffed.

"Well facing the facts, he never once killed me…" she raised an eyebrow and then changed the subject, "I can accompany you to search for the dagger."

"Wait what does she mean she was killed? Like you too, grandmaster?" Takeda interrupted.

"I have a different kind of ability," Kremnine plainly stated but then leaned towards Takeda and Hanzo when she noticed something odd about them. "You…reek of that creature….I…think I can sense 'it' in some way or another…a chaosrealmer…but I cannot be sure." She looked curiously at both Shirai Ryu ninjas before backing up. " I am not who it seeks, it stays far from me so I had not had the pleasure of meeting someone possessed in recent years."

"Then what good would bringing you do?" Hanzo folded his arms and scorned.

"For punching bag entertainment?" She raised an eyebrow looking skyward. "All right, I will stay far away from you….But bring Kuai Liang home to me," she pleaded looking back at the man's black pupils.

"I make no guarantees," Hanzo turned around barely looking at her when he left.

As Hanzo left the Sky Temple, he was asked non stop by Takeda about everything outside the Shirai Ryu. Everything to about hell fire, to the first tournament and then about the other clans and the Tengu he just met. When Hanzo was done answering and took a moment of silence, he thought back to the days when he woke up alive after having his body restored and soul released from Quan Chi. He did not grow to hate the sorcerer but only to know he had no intention to return. 

He was first to wake up at the sky temple amongst Jax and Kuai Liang. At the time, Hanzo struggled dealing with a second persona, Scorpion and there was little separation between the two personalities at first. That is until Hanzo eventually grew apart from his past due to a small push from the Tengu woman.

…………

FLASHBACK: HANZO'S FREEDOM AFTER QUAN CHI'S DEFEAT YEARS AGO 

Hanzo was rebellious and full of rage not understanding how to adapt to normal life when he was dead for 7 years. Understanding Rae's healing capabilities had returned full force; Raiden had asked her to watch over the Shirai Ryu. She was lent a teleportation stone during that time allowing her to follow whenever Hanzo teleported away from the Sky Temple, his current asylum, especially as he was not ready to be out in the world. 

At first, the presence of being followed by the Tengu greatly peeved Hanzo. He wanted fresh air and to be alone, or find the remains of his past. Yet after a while, she expects to have him follow back with her to the Sky Temple. Rae was not much of the arguing nature, even when she was angry, it was hard for him to take her seriously as he definitely was more expressive of anger. She seemed to stand still with eyes narrowed at him as he spat hateful words. 

They fought several times, Hanzo getting the win most of the time. He was stronger, more experienced and didn’t hold back but she held back out of understanding he would actually get hurt if she really tried. She did not seem to harbour hate toward him after he broke bones or gave her a gaping cut wound. As she manages to control the pain, he could still sense a rage lingering in her that rivalled his own.

One time he was so mad at her when she called him a coward and to 'stop acting like a insolent, runaway child'. He performed a fatality; he threw a fireball through her chest and she fell on her knees. She watched her heart fall right out of the hole, then there was an moment of crushing pain, so fast that her mind barely registered that her head was cut from the top of her face down to the chin. 

He left the scene and was creating a bon fire in a forest alone elsewhere in the middle of the night. Guilt washed him this time that he realized he stopped treating her as a woman but a human punching bag. Seven years ago, he would be the man who avoided hurting woman, especially with how fragile and precious his wife was. He was deep down grateful for Quan Rae as she had been the only human contact he had for some time who was not afraid of who had become. Would Kana forgive and accept who he is now?

"Remind me to never call you that again," Kremnine appeared alive in front of him. Her one hand was doing a clumsy job trying to cover the exposed skin at the chest where moments ago there had been a burnt, gaping hole. She looked at the bonfire and knew he did not make it from scratch and simply with hellfire. "That hellfire is helpful."

"It is my curse," he muttered while still sounding annoyed of their earlier fight.

"See it as an ability you maintained. You concentrate small packets of portals from the Netherrealm and bring it here," she continued to analyze how he performs the task and looked at her hands, figuring out how to replicate the effect as she knew how to open small portals.

"I am not here to teach you how to weld it," he warned.

"Alright, I get it….Sorry," she said as turned her head away from him. 

"I am the one who is sorry…," Hanzo admitted looking down on the fire. He did not wear his mask during this time and appeared genuinely apologetic at her. "What you said, be it truth or not, did not warrant death…"

"I forgive you, but in truth, being beaten near death hurts about the same," she shrugged and sat down on the floor next to older man. It may have been how she was raised in the Tengu to not withhold grudges but he certainly appreciated her forgiving nature. 

"You have the patience of an elderly warrior. That I can attest to and I have met the previous Kremnine when I was a boy."

"Did you?"

The older man nodded, folding his arms in the process and sat up straight, "Yes during a clan discussion when the Shirai Ryu wished to sign a peace treaty with the Tengu decades ago." 

"…And then just before that was finalized, the highest ranking houses of the Tengu were all murdered by Quan Chi," she added in. "What was that man like?"

"I remember how dangerous the man looked, he was called the 'Silent Reaper.' I had thought my father brought me to visit death for being a disobedient child," Hanzo stated causing Rae to laugh a little before he continued, "but, you are otherwise known as the White Reaper for giving life. It is clear; your abilities are impressive."

"No, you have never met a Kremnine like me," she smiled and brought her finger to her lips.

"I have not….You are a kind woman and I forget that much of the time. But you are a woman who also suffered…I remember…I know what happened to you in the Netherrealm. Scorpion was there to turn a blind eye."

Her fists clenched as emotions of hate and shame a sick feeling in her stomach manifested. It has been a few months which she had registered that time had passed but she had moments to reflect on how the flow of events and the manipulation of Quan Chi's unfolded, methodically leading to her humiliation. She kept this a secret but because of her silence, she had no outlets to express those negative feelings except for picking fights with Hanzo. Admittedly, she did it on purpose at times.

"I am not Scorpion. I, Hanzo Hasashi, will not allow such horror to befall on you, this is my promise to you for as long as I exist," he continued. 

"That…is in the past, I will look beyond it eventually as memory fades. Staying in the past does me no good, it teaches only where my flaws are and I can change that in the present. You should remind yourself, likewise." 

"To the present then…where I seek retribution, but I will not forget," he turned to look at the flames.

She was desperate to change topics. With a small smile and she used her free hand to pull out the cut off portion of her previous face out of a bloodied shoulder bag she wore. "Now then! I should find out how to preserve my face, then it would be a memento of how I looked like at this present."

"That is disgusting. Throw it out," he commanded.

"What…? You do not command me and you never listen to what I say to you, what makes you think I should listen to you?" Rae narrowed her eyes at him.

There he goes again flared with anger. He tries to wrestle the cut off face from her and she was having trouble parrying him with one hand. She tried to move her other hand but was looking at how her cleavage, while not a large one, was in full view, she places her hand back there again. Only then to realize…she can bring both hands with the face to her chest centre, he won't dare touch her like that, she then cuddled to a ball on the floor. 

"You are the one who behave as an insolent child!" He fumed. "You dare not think I would not touch you to get that face incinerated?!"

She makes a face at him, "We are due a return, at least, I respect curfews. Now distance yourself; my other face is getting crushed." 

He climbs atop of her in a kneeled position and wrestled her hands apart and he managed to rip and toss her old face several feet away. She looked at it in shock, okay that was kind of gross to see the flesh tear apart. She didn't expect what came next. He pulled her up to a seated position by the ripped collar fabric and crushed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened in shock. 

Hanzo felt a small push on his chest which he did not quite respond too and then felt a stronger push which distanced himself from her lips. She gulped and her eyes were wide, her lips parted making this face of shock. Memories of Revenant Sub-Zero forcing her into a kiss appeared in flashes. Hanzo did not understand this at the time and leaned in for slower kiss. Her hand palmed his face which surprised the man and he leaned back.

"I…I….cannot…" she turned her head to face away. Her hand instinctively returns to cover herself.

"I….should not," he said releasing his grip on her torn fabric. As his time as a wraith under his Scorpion persona, he knew nothing but revenge and hate. Now that he is human again, he struggles with overwhelming human emotions and urges. 

Rather disappointed, Hanzo Hasashi still hugs her selfishly for one moment and then lets her go and informs, "Should you realize there is nothing for you in the future with Kuai Liang, my doors open for you." 

"Should it be, I will talk to you on that," she nodded slightly. 

…….

FLASHBACK - SKY TEMPLE - DURING KUAI LIANG'S AWAKENING

When Hanzo heard the news that Kuai Liang had awoken from his coma, the Shirai Ryu became furious. He did stay longer than expected only because of a minor infatuation he had in the Tengu healer. It was unclear to himself whether he saw her a love interest or as a friend as he had neither. 

At this point, Rae hardly visited him as she used to and when she did, he ended up scaring her away with violence. A movement he does regret this day. He wanted to at least apologize to her that one night only to see the cyromancer at her door and watched as she invited the young man in. 

A strange feeling came over Hanzo Hasashi, only knowing he lost his connection with someone who he felt close to. Was it jealously or possessiveness? What is she to him? He refused to give into such a folly. The Shirai Ryu knew that night that the cyromancer never returned to his own quarters that night so it would only be obvious what transpired there. Shortly after the cyromancer got his bearings, Rae and the blue clad ninja seemed to have made up to each other for lost time. 

Hanzo left after shortly, he needed to re-focus and direct himself to rebuilding a second upbringing of the Shirai Ryu. This is what Kana would have wanted, this is the future he should have built for Jubei. This is what Rae told him to focus on, the present.

…….

BACK TO CURRENT TIME MORTAL KOMBAT X COMIC BRACKET - KAHISHARI, JAPAN

The whispers came in waves demanding for blood. After years of no sightings of the cyromancer, there he was in the completely frozen city of Kahishari, all his doing. An intense face off between Hanzo and Sub-Zero took place in the temple as if the blue clad ninja was waiting for his rival to appear. Though the cyromancer was never this strong: Strong enough to take signs of life from everything, living and not, all frozen across. 

Victory would have appeared to be at a great cost when Hanzo thought he lost his only surviving pupil Takeda. Not again….not just after he lost every student in the second Shirai Ryu to this demon controlling the earthrealm allies.

In a effort of brilliance, Takeda snatched the Kamidogu from cyromancer, preventing a continuous connection to the blood code. As the contaminated blood was used up, Kuai Liang returned to his senses, clearly confused. But, Scorpion, full of rage, emerged the same time that the chaos clerk, Havok, lost possession. The wraith wanted to kill Kuai Liang out of rage and a partial jealousy that comfort may have been sought with Kremnine. As his persona switched between Scorpion to Hanzo Hasashi, he chose to spare Kuai Liang because he did want to keep a promise to her at least to some degree. Now he just wishes to let the bastard Lin Kuei wallow in his blood and reflect on the lives he killed.

………………..

A/N: damn this shift in time, I certainly did not like the fact that Kuai Liang does get possessed by the Kamidogu for years according to the MKX comic, my guess about 9-10. *cries* That is a lot of fricken years for Raiden to magically ignore subby wubby. I admit, I thought of Kuai Liang stabbing a very pregnant Quan Rae but then both would likely be more traumatized but it didn't set the right tone leading to the next chapter which is the Konclusion


	12. Konclusion (mature content)

A/N: in the comics, Bo Rai Cho finds Kuai Liang after Hanzo beats the crap out of him. After healing, Kuai Liang delivers an unrealistic virus stored on a flash drive into the Lin Kuei base and frees pretty much only Cyrax and kills Sektor (That is literally why in the first Chapter Kremnine compares the cyborgs to bananas). Cyrax decides to blow himself up and then Kuai Liang owes master Bo Bo a drink. So yah that is my three sentence summary of 3 chapters of the comics. 

………

NEAR KAHISHARI, JAPAN

While Kuai Liang was thankful that Master Bo Rai Cho had found him clinging to life, he would appreciate finally stopping for a moment as the two continued to walk away from the temple where he had lost to Hanzo Hasashi. Finally, the Outworld Master brought him to an abandoned clinic and he was laid down on a bed in the medic room. Left alone, the cyromancer felt it was odd that Bo Rai Cho sounded like he was going to help him and that there was a favour to be owed by the thunder god. Shortly after, he could not believe his eyes when the door slid open and in walked the woman he his heart had desired for years. 

"We meet again," he spoke and noticed right away she did not look like she aged as much as he did. 

Rae closed her eyes for a second, sighed and opened her eyes to gaze back at him. He definitely looked older, the top corners of his hair had started to recede and there was an unfamiliar scar on his face. "At least not as acquaintances." 

"…Are we doomed to be separated? It seems the gods do their best to keep us apart," he sat up weakly and reached for her hand as she approached and held it then sat herself down to the chair that was beside the bed.

"I like to look at it as the demons may try to keep us apart but we have strength against those odds. First, let us get you patched up," she suggested. A thought processed in her mind which was registering how his voice did not really change but he certainly not than that youthful man she spend time travelling with…She heard about how cryomancers do live longer than humans and they are still in calendar years four years apart now they look a few more years than that apart….is that man gone? 

They slowly talked more and more in depth with each other, at first, realizing how long they had separated. Soon they realized the time difference did not change their core personalities although Rae deep down became a bit more darker and him more traumatized. He was tormented, in his possessed state he remembered all his other victims and stabbing Kremnine brutally into a tree. Be it if she never were capable of healing, he would have killed her. And he had killed thousands during those years. Rae once called Bi Han a mass murderer but the killings of those in Kahishari is on Kuai Liang who now sets the tone as a mass murderer. Yet in the eyes of the woman who still yearned for him, she cannot fathom him in such light. 

She had finished healing him for the most part, she can only heal that which is new, she tried healing that scar on his face a few times but it did not seem to work. She looked at his wrist and there was a cut she could not heal either. 

"Blood magic," he murmured, "The cuts were acquired through the numerous years under possession."

She leaned to kiss him just under the eye right on the scar. "Hmm that is a shame although you do not look so bad with the scar."

"How is it that you age only a few years?" He asked. That is good question, something they never asked each other when they were younger, he as a cyromancer should age slower than a human and her being demon blooded had a similar impact. Although the study of their aging was not something they can both look up at a library and neither of them were experts. 

"The Netherrealm's suspension pools may have an impact. The effects take time to fade...right now I may have delayed a little bit of aging but it is starting to head towards a normal pace for me…that could be assumptions made on my end only but it is also possible we do not grow old together at the same rate," she looked away.

Sub-Zero grabbed Kremnine's chin and had her face him, "I suppose the situation is every man's ideal dream. With all my wrong deeds, I do not deserve you. Even with the little good I have done, I had not been fair to you but I treasured my time with you."

"I care little for who deserves what. By the elder gods and all other gods, I will stay by you; we have been apart enough times for a lifetime." 

The slightly older man was taken back the declaration and then nodded, "A lifetime too many."

She backed away slightly to change the subject and brought on a serious tone, "If I can focus your attention, I have other news. I found the Lin Kuei Base, underground and remote, near Shulianghu. There is only one entrance and a dock. Cyrax and Sektor enter and exit the facility through the main doors. The dock is not used for entry but weaponry and parts enter through there. I can take care of the dock and its supplier which is black dragon operated. The main entrance is yours."

"I would not have you focused on the docks by yourself; I will ask that Master Bo Rai Cho accompany you," Kuai Liang worriedly said.

"It can only be me; there is no reception in that area, the cyborgs have scramblers on every wavelength of communication available. I would not know how chaotic it will be on your side but should the base be destroyed, I will have no warnings on my end. I expect to be in the blasting vicinity. I can come back to life from that. Master Bo Rai Cho cannot….he can, however, help you man the main door as cyborgs move in and out as that door is your entry and exit."

"If…I lose you again….I…," he looked to the side, a sadness reflected in his eyes thinking of how he disconnected with her for years because of the Kamidogu. He slowly turned to looked straight back at her. 

"You need to see this through, otherwise you would live in shadows to evade them," Rae barely gave a smile, this was strange to the cyromancer as he remembered she often made a small smile and perhaps the years did take away some of her happiness. "You did destroy their numbers during those years on the run; I have faith in us that we will not be separated by the Lin Kuei," she concluded with the same small smile on her face.

"You……You have my gratitude, now and always. I would be lost still had it not been for you," he gave a soft chuckle and leaned in with their foreheads to touch. He was glad to see that as that was the Kremnine he had always known.

……….

WEEKS LATER IN PURA BRATIN, BALI

Rae woke up and noticed a package at her room at Bo Rai Cho's academy where herself and Sub-Zero had taken refuge. Within it, was somewhat of a formal wear with pastel floral patterns. A note in the package specified to meet at the garden pavilion a certain time. She figured it must be Kuai Liang.

She appeared at the garden which was completely empty. She spotted the pavilion which was placed in the centre of water feature along with a stone path allowing travel to the structure itself. The trees were in bloom, the scene was whimsical and surreal as if it could not possibly exist in this constantly struggling world. As she approached the destination, she can see the cryomancer right in front of the pavilion on the walkway although not in his armour but also in partial formal wear. 

He turned to face her and flashed a soft smile. As she got in hearing distance, he said to her, "You are beautiful, always been, everyday, even in this world that in always in a state of flux."

"You plot this surprise?..." She piqued as her eyes wandered through her surroundings timidly as she figured he meant to relate the scenery to herself.

"Any day now, I have a hacker working on a piece of the solution to end the cyber Lin Kuei. Once it is in my hands, we set foot," he said with a serious face. "Before that happens, I need to set one thing right. We never quite had a proper ceremony that I promised."

Rae was taken back at his proposal and did what she always did, scratch her jaw before saying, "I left it as what it was when we were separated many years ago….and…we are without witnesses." 

"The trees, the gods, the birds; they are our witnesses who we bow to," he reached for her hand which she allowed them to intertwine and she walked up to stand in front of him. He guided her on her knees and put himself in the same position. They first faced the pavilion and bowed and then they bowed to each other. 

At the conclusion, Sub-Zero picked up and carried Kremnine bridal style out of the gardens. As they approached the academy, she nudged him to put her down. "I am going to punch you if you plan to walk all the way back to the quarters and embarrass me the entire path."

"You reveal your true colours as a spouse with haste; I suppose my days are outnumbered," he teased but as always was poised in his demeanour as he set her down. A smile appeared on his face as he was pleased that they began behaving around each other similar to what they originally had in their relationship. 

As they neared his quarters first on the way, they walked past it which made her arch an eyebrow, the door was slightly parted open and she noted the room was empty and barren. Her curiosity got the better, "You planned this?" 

"While we are guests here, I had asked for a different room that would accommodate two," he timidly admitted.

"Oh?" Rae blushed. It was odd to talk of the bedroom especially since it often implied a certain activity between two people. This was something they had not done since they reconnected. She assumed their relationship needed time…again with all things that went wrong between them beyond their control.

A few steps more he opens the door of a new room which was roughly the same size of his previous but had a larger bed. Kuai Liang pulled her inside so he may shut the door. The second the door closed, he brought his lips down to hers holding on her tightly. As they pulled apart, her eyes half lidded and a partial smile formed on her lips, she pushed him into the wall and rose on her toes and tugged his head down allowing her lips to connect to his. Then she continued to press forward slightly pressing lips together or backed up a touch to catch breath, she continued this a few times, hands brushing his neck until he began to chuckle. As she backed up for breathing space, she felt a hardness pressing against her stomach. 

His hands rested along her lower back and promptly unzipped the attire she was in. She let the rest fall off her and remained in her garments. His hand grazed on her back and arms, satisfying his desire to touch soft skin. Her lips latched under his strong jawline and tugged at the zipper in the back of his top piece. He held on her shoulders and guided her to take a step back so that he may remove the article. As he tossed it to the floor, his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her against him again but reversed their positions pinning her to the wall. 

He grabbed both her wrists with one hand and raised them above her head as he continued to connect lips and his hand dove to cup breast. Then he backed up slightly with a concerned wide eyed look not sure if he should have held her arms like that as if she was a prisoner but she started arching her body forward eager to be flush against him so he complied and pressed her into the wall grinding against her. When he released her hands, she used them to lightly squeeze his buttocks as he sucked against her neck. 

His hands dove down to unzip his pants and pull out his arousal. His fingers dug into her underwear from the opening in the thigh and shifted the fabric aside until her lower regions were exposed. He slipped his fingers in to get her excited for what is upcoming.   
As he beckoned his submerged fingers, she threw her head back squirming against the wall. 

His other hand slipped into his mouth, moistening the digits. She was not blind to this and licked the third phalanges of the same digits that he did not slip into his mouth. As he withdrew the wet fingers, a small trail of saliva landed on her collar bone instead. He moved both wet hands to coated his member and then guided the tip into her entrance and pressed on in a hungered state, inching and retracting the slightest to not hurt her but to get himself urgently seated within after being separated from her for so long. As he did this, he stuck out his tongue and pushed through her mouth as if claiming both moist caverns at the same time. 

The Lin Kuei man gripped the Tengu woman's hands, pinning both beside the shoulders as they thrusted at a steady rhythm. Their tongues now rubbing into each other. They were suppressing their moans as they both were quite conscious of the fact they are guests at the academy. Although their body language heavily implied they wanted more and something more carnal. 

As a result, he picked up her legs for a moment and guided her to wrap them around his waist. He backed up hold her up off the ground in his arms and she supported her weight by wrapping arms on his upper back. He gave a few slow thrusts as he continued to slowly turn and walk towards the bed while giving kisses along her jawline.

As they reached the bed end, Kuai Liang pulled himself out to set Rae on the floor. His hand reached behind her back to unbuckle the clasps of her garment and they both quickly peeled remaining articles and tossed them aside. Her hooked his hand under one of her knees and lifted it high so she was standing on one foot and half spun around. Her hand pressed into the mattress to keep balance. He guided his tip with his hand and plunged himself back into the abyss. His hand now covered her mouth so that he was able to push in and out wildly making her struggle in vocal suppression.

This was a position that required energy on his end; while she loved the vibrations of being pushed roughly by him, the position was more suitable if they were out in the wilderness and had lesser options. Quan Rae moved his hand to free her lips and spoke between moans, "Mmm…ah, this is a bed, there can be a better use to it." 

He chuckled the slightest and whispered into her ear, "I missed our table, dearly." He let go of her leg causing her to press both hands on the mattress to keep balance. She felt him push her back to bend her body and he stood behind her. His hands moved to her lower waist to allow him to ram into her, even causing the bed to shake. One of her hands now cover her mouth and muffling her cries, her eyes shifted to the back of her head as her body bucked back in rhythm to his.

He shifted his hands to be somewhere between gripping to cupping her buttocks and then leaned back a bit to enjoy the view of himself pushing in and out. His breathing became ragged and he made soft moans himself. He stopped for a moment to catch breath and also to prevent himself for releasing earlier than he wanted.

While their organs were still connected, Kuai Liang methodically guided her and him to scoot and be closer towards the centre of the bed, he gently pressed her down chest facing into the mattress but she had placing her arms bent with forearms in front of her chest and the back of the palms aligned to her shoulder to support his weight on top of her. He placed his forearms besides both sides of her head and began to thrust in a sensual pattern. She began to arch her back and shuddered uncontrollably, an 'O' shape forming on her mouth and eyes closed. He followed soon after, losing consistency and pummelled into her more urgently until he called out. 

When he finished spilling seed, he pulled out with a grunt and sat up slightly in a kneeling position, the visual curiosity of his getting the better of him and he looked at the trailing liquids oozing out of her entry. Satisfied with what he saw and becoming quite red in the face, he laid down comfortably on his back beside her. She re-positioned herself on her side and placed her hand lovingly on his abdomen.

"You were quite vocal," Kremnine murmured to Sub-Zero, "I wonder, who is our neighbour?"

"It is Master Bo Rai Cho," he said almost slightly embarrassed. 

She gave a quick laugh, "Should he hear us one day…I will be wearing my mask all day from that moment on to cover my embarassment."

……

POST MORTAL COMIC SEASON 1 - A RURAL BAR

At the conclusion of the destruction of the cyborg base, Kuai Liang made due to his promise on the first round of drinks at the bar of a rural town. Cunningly enough, Bo Rai Cho pretty much ordered a keg. As the Outworlder was downing alcohol like water, the more poised man looked around anxious in hopes that his wife returns safely. Oddly, he never thought of her addressed in that title before until now. She then enters through the doors in civilian wear. She spotted him eyeing her curiously and simply shrugged in response. She sat down besides the cryomancer, and mumbled, "My clothes exploded. My spare clothes also exploded."

"That was indeed quite the blast of the Lin Kuei base! Haha should have sent me helping her after all, would not have minded that sight," Bo Rai Cho gave a laugh, only to feel a very sharp elbow to the stomach by the man beside him. Is that man that drunk already?!

"You are back…for that I am relieved," Sub-Zero grabbed Kremnine's hand and kissed the palm. "It would appear that I am obligated to offer a round."

She ordered a drink for herself when the bar staff approached her. When they were left alone she continued the conversation knowing Kuai Liang is not in the best of spirits, "I take it you are not entirely satisfied with the outcome of the closure."

"I saw Cyrax one last time. We spoke briefly when we were alone, I had little time to talk to him; I had hopes my previous comrades can come back from the cyber but he wanted a clean slate with the Lin Kuei."

"I see…" Rae tilted her head down. 

"Before that conversation took place…he inquired about your whereabouts, you were the last memory he had as a human being," Kuai Liang said as he let go of her hand and placed it on her lap.

"Oh? What-- chu say?" Bo Rai Cho slurred as he wiped the trailing alcohol off his chin using the cloth on his forearm.

"That she is by my side, now and always," the blue clad ninja said proudly giving his romantic interest a small smile. "Then, he called me a pig," the cyromancer finished with a slight chuckle but sadness was still great in his eyes. "After, he decided the entire facility must be destroyed including himself."

"Hmmm…Everyone has their limits to retribution. If this is all he wanted is this silence out of the years of slavery, you must let it be and respect his decision. This will be the same situation if we save Smoke and the other revenants one day. You must pay your respects," she comforted and took a sip, eyes never off of him.

He was silent for a moment and then took a sip from his own drink, looking almost at no particular point of interest. He took a moment to reminiscing the past he had with his fellow brethren he had grown up with and the nights they all shared stories and goals of achieving honour and greatness in the clan. He held his drink up and gave a toast, "To the Lin Kuei."

His other two companions joined in raising their glass too and all three took a sip. 

"You closed the door to the old Lin Kuei, but in the cycle of life it also means another door opens. Would you like to focus efforts to restore the Lin Kuei Temple as a start?" she suggested. "A temple is still a sacred structure, and it is your home, it can have that fresh start."

"There is a lot to take care of there but it will be done. Cyrax anointed myself as the new grandmaster. In truth, I did not want to take that on," Kuai Liang swirled the last bit of his drink and took a sip.

"Not taking that on today is fine, but ya know between you and me, you know who your pupils will say is the real master of the Lin Kuei during the night is ho ho ho!" Bo Rai Cho interrupted giving the cryomancer a suggestive nudge. The wedded pair both raised eyebrows at the overweight man and then the pair look at each other wide eyed almost embarrassed that have been caught.

Kuai Liang cleared his throat and then stood up from his chair. Rae picked up what he thinking and downed her drink quickly. The Lin Kuei put a hand on the Outworlder and thanked him deeply for his help and recovery. However, it would appear the newly titled grandmaster needs some time alone to have a more private conversation with the newly hinted grandmistress. 

 

THE END  
………  
A/N : hopefully I ended it on a good note, well you can tell me I didn't in all honestly. But this is as far as I feel I need to write other than the behind the scenes during mkx potentially writing on a rivalry between Frost and Quan Rae.

Thank you for putting up with all my spelling errors and occasional grammatical error. You guys rock!


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